Musharraf tightens regulations for Pakistani media

(4 Jun 2007) 1. Wide of journalists marching towards Parliament to protest media crackdown announced Monday 2. Journalists chanting we want freedom 3. People walking with torches 4. Torches 5. Poster: "We strongly condemn breakdown on our private TV channel" 6. Woman journalists with poster 7. SOUNDBITE: (English) Javed Rana, journalist: "Because of the curbs by the government on media, they are not letting the independent media to function now. They have interrupted their broadcasts and similarly there is heavy pressure on the management, on the owners, not to give coverage to the views related to the Chief Justice of Pakistan." 8. Various of journalists protesting 9. SOUNDBITE: (Urdu) Waqar Medhmood Satti, journalist: "Yes, they ban the truth. People want to see the truth but the government does not let the people see the truth." 10. Protestors near President's House STORYLINE: President Gen. Pervez Musharraf tightened the regulation of Pakistan's media on Monday, the latest move against dissent in a growing political crisis over his suspension of the chief justice. Under an emergency ordinance that takes effective immediately, Musharraf made a raft of amendments to regulations governing the electronic media, including private television channels that the general has accused of anti-government bias. About 100 journalists, opposition party members and pro-democracy activists demonstrated against the tougher rules, marching from the Islamabad office of the Geo channel to the nearby federal parliament building on Monday evening. Local journalist Javed Rana said their protest march was against the new curbs, saying was heavy pressure on the owners of the independent media to limit coverage on the issue of the ouster of the Chief Justice. The new ordinance says authorities can seal the premises of broadcasters or distributors breaking the law, and raises possible fines for violations from 1 (m) million rupees (16,665 US dollars) to 10 (m) million rupees (166,650 US dollars). The Pakistan Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) can also suspend the license of an offender. PEMRA spokesman Mohammed Salim was unable to provide a copy of the legislation being amended to specifically determine what other changes had been made. A version posted on the authority's Web site appeared out of date. However, a senior PEMRA official said that the power to seal a broadcasters' premises was a significant change. The official, who asked for anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, also forecast legal challenges to the stiffened regulations. Musharraf has fostered unprecedented media freedom since he seized power in a 1999 coup. However, he has grown exasperated with extensive coverage of the crisis triggered by his March 9 ouster of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry. The turnaround has been accompanied by a spate of threats and beatings against prominent journalists for which authorities have denied responsibility. Government officials have accused the TV channels of sensationalising the crisis in talk shows and with live coverage of rallies around the country attended by Chaudhry. Rallies for the judge, who denies government charges of misconduct, have drawn large crowds of lawyers and opposition activists and growing calls for Musharraf to step down or at least give up his role as army chief before he seeks another five-year term as president later this year. PEMRA, which supervises radio and TV stations, issued letters to TV channels Saturday, urging them not to air programs that "encourage" violence, or promote an "anti-state attitude." Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...