Source: NDTV.com
Pakistan’s private television network Geo TV, whose news channel Geo News was taken off air on Friday midnight on orders from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) authorities, might consider moving out of its Dubai office if a resolution to the problem is not reached soon.”We have got options of moving out of our office here (in Dubai Media City). But that is all a big ‘if’. We are in negotiations with the authorities here and we hope that a settlement will be reached soon,” Dubai station head of Geo TV Imran Mir said on Sunday.
Geo is one of the two private Pakistani channels that have been ordered to stop uplinking from Dubai their news programmes. The other is ARY TV.
Geo TV has, in all, eight channels uplinking from its office at the Dubai Media City here. Geo News has three beams covering Pakistan, the Middle East, the US and Britain.
All of Geo’s channels in Pakistan have been blacked out, along with other private channels, since November 3 when President Pervez Musharraf imposed emergency in the country.
However, from Friday, two main channels, DAWN News and AAJ, were back on air, with AAJ announcing that two of its most popular talk shows, were suspended temporarily.
Fate of its employees
Asked what kind of options he has, Mir said, ”We have options within Asia.”
Mir said that Geo TV was losing out financially since the closure of the channel with the fate of its employees uncertain.
The network’s Dubai office staff, which is over 200 strong, have, however, continued to attend office as in normal conditions.
”Yes, all our staff members are attending office in their normal shifts,” the station head said.
The UAE authorities have stated that the country’s neutral foreign policy and its positive and constructive role in international affairs are reasons behind taking the two Pakistani news channels off air.
”The UAE has been an advocate of international law and an active contributor to peace and stability in the region,” Ibrahim Al-Abed, director general of UAE’s National Media Council, said in a statement, while commenting on the decision taken by the Dubai Media City to close down the two channels.
”In the light of the current sensitive state of affairs in Pakistan, the UAE can only assume its responsibility and maintain its neutrality,” the Emirates News Agency (WAM) quoted Al-Abed as saying.
Foreign policy principles
Executive director of Dubai Media City Amina Al Rustamani has said that Dubai Media City would observe the foreign policy principles of the country.
”As an entity within the UAE, Dubai Media City would also observe the broadcast principles of the country’s foreign policy and prevent the telecast of news and material that would undermine those principles,” she said while noting that Geo and ARY are respected business partners in Dubai Media City for several years.
”Our relationship with them has been strong and friendly. We are in discussion with them in regard to the telecast of their news components and we are confident we will resolve this matter in the best way possible to protect their interests and those of the UAE,” she said.
Meanwhile, Geo has continued to uplink its other entertainment and sports channels on the condition that it would not air any news or current affairs programmes on these channels.
Its sports channel, Geo Super, is airing the ongoing India-Pakistan cricket series.
”We are uplinking the cricket series from here. This is available to viewers across the world, except Pakistan where all cable networks have been blacked out, on the dish platform,” Mir said.
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Tags: Censorship, Dubai, Emergency, Geo, Geo News, Geo TV, media, Musharraf, UAE
7 responses so far ↓
1 Syed Hamid Hussain // Nov 22, 2007 at 5:47 pm
The General Manager Geo TV,
I AM A PAKISTANI CITIZEN LIVING IN ITALY ROME, I AM A REGULAR VIEWER OF YOUR CHANNEL, I APRICIATE OF YOUR EFFORTS AS YOU ARE GIVING US INFORMATION PROMPTLY, BUT THERE ARE MANY THINGS ON WHICH YOU HAVE TO CONSIDER SERIOUSLY,YOU PERSONALLY AND COLLECTIVELY HAVE THE RIGHT TO CRITISIZE THE GOVERNMENT AND INDIVIDUAL, BUT IT MUST BE IN FAVOUR OF OUR COUNTRY, OUR COUNTRY IS FIRST PRIORITY AND ANY THING,I HAVE SEEN IN THIS YEAR 2007, SOME OF YOUR ANYLISTS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS HAS DONE IRRESPONSIBLE JOB, YOUR CHANNEL TELECAST THE INSERGENCY WHICH IS GOING ON IN OUR COUNTRY FOR ONE OR TWO YEARS, IN SOME AREAS, THERE ARE MANY CAUSES OF THAT INSERGENCY, I DONT WANT TO GO IN THAT DETAILS, THE TRUTH IS A GOOD THING BUT THE TRUTH WHICH WILL HARMFUL TO OUR COUNTRY WE ARE BOUND TO AVOID THAT, I WILL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, SINCE 1948 INCERGENCY IS GOING ON IN JAMMU KASHMIR, BUT TILL TO DAY I HAVE NEVER SEEN ON ANY OF INDIAN TV CHANNEL THAT THEY HAVE SHWON AND HIGH LIGHTED THAT TYPE OF IMAGES WHICH I HAVE SEEN AND HEARD ON YOUR CHANNEL, PLEASE DONT THINK THAT I AM A PART OF PAK GOVERNMENT OR SUPPORTING ANY POLITICAL PARTY I FELT IT IS NOT GOOD FOR OUR COUNTRY SO I WROTE YOU PERSONALLY I HAVE LOT OF RESPECTS THE ALL ANCHER PERSONS OF YOUR CHANNELS SPECIALLY MR SHAHID MASOOD AND MR KAMRAN KHAN AND I LIKE THEIR ANALYSIS BUT THEY MUST FEEL SOME RESPONSIBILITIES TOWARDS PAKISTAN, SOME IMAGES AND STATEMENTS PROVOCE PEOPLES THOSE ARE INOCENTS AND THOSE ARE PLYING IN THE HANDS OF SOME POLITICAL PARTIES AND SOME OUTSIDE POWERS, YOU KNOW BETTER THE IQ OF OUR NATION, THE NATION IS IMMOTIONAL , AND WE CANNT COMPARE THEM WITH EUROPE AND USA, SO THE PEOPLES LIKE YOU AND THE PEOPLE LIKE YOU ARE HAVING IN YOUR OFFICE HAS THE RESPONSIBLITY TO SERVE NATION AS THE CALABER THEY ARE HAVING I HOPE SOON YOUR AND OTHER CHANNELS WILL REOPEN AND WE WILL AGAIN ENJOY THE COMMIDY AND SERIOUS THING WITH YOU, PLEASE ADVISE THOSE ARE WORKING WITH MIC AND CAMERAS, THAT THEY ARE HOLDING NUCLEAR WEAPENS IN THEIR HANDS, IF THEY WILL MISUSE THOSE WILL BE HARMFUL OF OUR COUNTRY, I PRAY FOR YOUR CHANNEL AND FOR OUR COUNTRY. GOD BLESS OUR COUNTRY AND GOD BLESS YOUR CHANNELS, MY MAILL ADDRESS IS WITH YOU, IF YOU NEED TO CONTACT ME PLEASE YOU ARE WELCOME, IF I COULD DO ANY THING FOR MY COUNTRY I AM ALWAYS AVAILABLE FOR THAT, THEESE ARE MY PHONE NOS. CEL.0039-333-3593-955. RES. 0039-06-23219124. ALLAH HAFIZ. SYED HAMID HUSSAIN.
2 Khadim Nabi // Nov 27, 2007 at 2:58 pm
but i think that the most dangerous thing for our country is Army, control of army in pakistan since 1947, we must think about it. Now a days I see Imran Khan, Imran Khan have the vision, for Insaf Justice. we must support this vision.
thanks
khadim nabi
3 Nazia M SHafi // Nov 28, 2007 at 6:34 pm
WHat insurgency is Syed Hamid Hussain in his comment talking about?? Is it unfair to voice people’s opinions? Which century are you living in?
GEO has been on top to let people around the world know as to what has been happening not only in Pakistan but also around the world. It seems people like Musharraf have been too scared to let this sword of freedom out in order to hide his own secret acts and wrong doings!
A LOVELY act by GEO to get out of Dubai where it has clearly shown that you can invest with all your monies but still with a military Regime….WHat sort of investment or business opportunity does Dubai give?? where companies like media are restricted! where do the human rights stand in Dubai??
A wise decision to move out of Dubai by GEO, GEO !
Good Luck GEO!
WE ARE WITH U!
4 Haroon // Nov 29, 2007 at 3:57 pm
Great work by GEO TV, move out of Dubai, they are ruled by autocrats. Geo News, especially all its great analysts, Dr Shahid Masood and Co provide a great service to Pakistan. The only reason why Geo News was asked to shut down was because it was critisizing government action. Why dont the government ministers come on the Geo News programs and defend themselves? why dont they come and defend why they have done a deal with the most corrupt leade in Pakistan´s history - yes you guessed it Benazir Bhutto - I call her daughter of the USA. Million of people sacrifised their lives for Pakistan, our young sisters were raped in 1947, killed, children were cut to pieces, pregnant women´s womb cut and the children taken killed!, ALL this while Benazir Bhutto´s grandad was serving the british. It was the British who gave him huge amount of land because of his great services to the British interests in Pakistan. What can you expect the grand daughter of a hindu woman to do for Pakistan (Benazir Bhutto´s grandmother was hindu). Most of our politicians are corrupt, power hungry generals who only care for them selves. I salute India they ordered all land to be taken froom people who were given land by the British Empire. I wish Pakistan did the same.
5 gino dho pakistanko chalnay dho pk gov ko. // Dec 7, 2007 at 2:23 am
geo must take responsibility and not make terorist heros. mosque hijackers where giving live speeches on geo tv through telephone calls. dr shahid never tells any thing good happeng in pakistan.
6 gino dho pakistanko chalnay dho pk gov ko. // Dec 7, 2007 at 2:35 am
if you look at geo web site. you dont see any critisism against geo. 24/7 all you do is critisise the goverment everyone says i am telling the truth even geo says. no country would allow programmes like hum sub ameed say heh.no way should nawaz or benazir be allowed to govern pakistan third time. imran i had high hopes but he is failed politician he had 2 chances.
7 Ab.Qayyum khan // Dec 19, 2007 at 6:29 am
shaid ye geo k liye possible na ho k dubai ko coch ker dain,,,der asel geo tv aik khas maqsad k liye banaya gia hai ta k pakistan ko kamzoor kia jai jaisa k mairay bhi nai itly say kaha k in k pass tu itom bomb hai bus in ka istamal pakistan army k khilaf hi kiu mai koi army person bhi nhi laikan hamaray mulik ki politics mai ager army aty hai tu ye kis ki kamzoory hai?? un representative ki jin ko hum hi select kartay hain sharaabee kababee representative .ye wo gidh hain jo pakistan ko kha rahay hain..imran khan ki kia baat hai jamaima say shadee our politics….duniya k kisi channel say hum umeed say hain jaisa wa hiyat programe nhi chala.jaisy qoam waisay hukmran
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