Dear Friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is concerned about the constant threat of censorship faced by BBC Pakistan, the independent radio station broadcasting in Urdu. The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) and the ministry of information and broadcasting, both under the strong influence of the Army, censored news bulletins that the BBC Pakistan was broadcasting through Pakistani radio stations. Despite the Prime Minster’s promise not to stop the BBC in its reporting work, the bulletins of five minutes each hour have been stopped. Instead, the PEMRA has verbally conveyed radio stations to relay BBC news only three times a day instead of broadcasting eleven times in a day.
The FM monitoring committee created by the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) of Pakistan Army and headed by a Colonel and a Brigadier allegedly ordered the PEMRA to censor the BBC Pakistan news bulletins because they were reporting about Army operations against the Taliban and human rights violations in the northern parts of the country.
CASE NARRATIVE:
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) started to broadcast news bulletin in Urdu from London through different Pakistani radio stations in 2004. At that time, the PEMRA did not allow several radio stations to broadcast BBC news bulletins, arguing that foreign radio stations were not allowed to broadcast through local channels. However, Voice of America and CNN were allowed to relay their news through different radio and television channels. The BBC’s main partner, FM 103, was shut down by the PEMRA and had its broadcasting equipment seized by the authorities.
Consequently, the BBC decided to create its own radio station in Pakistan in 2006, BBC Pakistan, with local staff reporting independent and unbiased news to the people. The news was thus not coming from a foreign media and could be broadcasted through Pakistani radio stations.
However, FM 103 was again forced by the PEMRA to stop broadcasting BBC news bulletins in June 2007. Both BBC Pakistan and FM 103 brought the case in front of Sindh High Court, which declared that the PEMRA’s decision was illegal and that FM 103 was allowed to broadcast this news.
On November 3, 2007, during the state of emergency imposed by former President General Musharraf, the BBC five minutes news bulletins were once again forbidden and this decision was also rejected by the Sindh High Court. The military government did not respect the court’s decision and kept censoring the BBC news.
After the general elections of February 2008, the newly elected government allowed FM radios to broadcast the BBC news bulletins of five minutes every hour, eleven times a day. Due to its independent approach and investigative reporting, the BBC Pakistan gained a great popularity among the listeners and went from 10 to 24 partner radios to broadcast its news bulletins.
According to the BBC Pakistan, when its representatives asked for an official authorisation to broadcast through the 24 FM stations, the PEMRA replied that they did not need an authorization, as their news was already broadcasted.
However, on March 27, 2010, the PEMRA suddenly ordered the 24 radio stations to stop the broadcasting of the BBC’s five minutes news because they did not have the official permission. The PEMRA declared it was acting on the orders of the government.
Contradictory information continued to arrive from the authorities. The federal minister of information, in a statement issued on April 27, 2010, declared that the authorization was not granted to the radio stations and that therefore they could not broadcast the BBC news bulletins, whereas in May, PEMRA ordered, in behalf of the ministry of information and broadcasting, that 10 partner radios do not stop the broadcasting, but reduce it to only three times a day.
According to our sources, the FM monitoring committee created by the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) of Pakistan Army is behind the censorship of the BBC. The chairmen of this committee, a Brigadier and a Colonel, have been appointed to monitor any information broadcasted on the radio regarding military operations in Pakistan, especially those against the Taliban. They targeted the BBC bulletins because they were impartially pointing out human rights violations in areas where the military conducted operations. The BBC had been particularly reporting about the plight of internally displaced people in conflict regions. PEMRA officials themselves admitted that the authorities responsible for the censorship were beyond their reach.
The actions of the PEMRA and the federal ministry of information and broadcasting against the BBC Pakistan news bulletins are in violation of Article 19 of the Constitution of Pakistan that guarantees the freedom of speech, expression and the press. They are also in the violation of Article 19 of UN International Covenant of Civil and Political rights (ICCPR). The ICCPR states in its commentary that “this is a right to which the Covenant permits no exception or restrictions”. It specifies that freedom of expression includes not only freedom to impart information and ideas of all kinds, but also freedom to seek and receive them through whatever medium and regardless of frontiers. Pakistan is a signatory to the ICCPR and pledged before the UN Human Rights Council in May 2008 that Pakistan will ratify the ICCPR which means that all the articles of ICCPR will be made part of the country’s laws.
It is also against the by-laws of the PEMRA which yield 10% of the national broadcasting time to foreign broadcasting.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write to the following authorities to express your concern about the illegal and unconstitutional censorship of the BBC Pakistan news programs and their ban from different FM radio stations. Please urge the authorities to immediately restore the broadcasting of the BBC news and allow all radio stations to relay their news. Also remind the authorities that it constitutes a gross violation of freedom of the press and expression, as well as the right to access information.
The AHRC writes a separate letter to UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression.
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear __________,
PAKISTAN: BBC Pakistan news is censored by the Pakistani authorities, on the instructions of the Army
Name of the news organisation:
BBC Pakistan
Names of alleged perpetrators:
1. Mr Qmar Zaman Kaira, Federal Minister of Information Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Islamabad.
2. The Chief Executive, Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), Islamabad
Date of incident: March 27, 2010
Place of incident: Islamabad, Pakistan
I am writing to voice my deep concern regarding the censorship of independent and impartial news bulletins from BBC Pakistan by the Pakistani authorities, under the instructions of the Army. I hear that despite the government’s promise not to censor the news, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) and the ministry of information and broadcasting have ordered several Pakistani radio stations to stop or sensibly reduce the broadcasting of BBC news bulletins.
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) started to broadcast news bulletin in Urdu from London through different Pakistani radio stations in 2004. At that time, the PEMRA did not allow several radio stations to broadcast BBC news bulletins, arguing that foreign radio stations were not allowed to broadcast through local channels. However, I know that Voice of America and CNN were allowed to relay their news through different radio and television channels. The BBC’s main partner, FM 103, was shut down by the PEMRA and had its broadcasting equipment seized by the authorities.
Consequently, the BBC decided to create its own radio station in Pakistan in 2006, BBC Pakistan, with local staff reporting independent and unbiased news to the people. The news was thus not coming from a foreign media and could be broadcasted through Pakistani radio stations.
However, FM 103 was again forced by the PEMRA to stop broadcasting BBC news bulletins in June 2007. Both BBC Pakistan and FM 103 brought the case in front of Sindh High Court, which declared that the PEMRA’s decision was illegal and that FM 103 was allowed to broadcast this news.
On November 3, 2007, during the state of emergency imposed by former President General Musharraf, the BBC five minutes news bulletins were once again forbidden and this decision was also rejected by the Sindh High Court. The military government did not respect the court’s decision and kept censoring the BBC news.
After the general elections of February 2008, the newly elected government allowed FM radios to broadcast the BBC news bulletins of five minutes every hour, eleven times a day. Due to its independent approach and investigative reporting, the BBC Pakistan gained a great popularity among the listeners and went from 10 to 24 partner radios to broadcast its news bulletins.
According to the BBC Pakistan, when its representatives asked for an official authorisation to broadcast through the 24 FM stations, the PEMRA replied that they did not need an authorization, as their news was already broadcasted.
However, on March 27, 2010, the PEMRA suddenly ordered the 24 radio stations to stop the broadcasting of the BBC’s five minutes news because they did not have the official permission. The PEMRA declared it was acting on the orders of the government.
I am surprised by the contradictory information that continued to arrive from the authorities. The federal minister of information, in a statement issued on April 27, 2010, declared that the authorization was not granted to the radio stations and that therefore they could not broadcast the BBC news bulletins, whereas in May, PEMRA ordered, in behalf of the ministry of information and broadcasting, that 10 partner radios do not stop the broadcasting, but reduce it to only three times a day.
According to my sources, the FM monitoring committee created by the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) of Pakistan Army is behind the censorship of the BBC. The chairmen of this committee, a Brigadier and a Colonel, have been appointed to monitor any information broadcasted on the radio regarding military operations in Pakistan, especially those against the Taliban. They targeted the BBC bulletins because they were impartially pointing out human rights violations in areas where the military conducted operations. The BBC had been particularly reporting about the plight of internally displaced people in conflict regions. PEMRA officials themselves admitted that the authorities responsible for the censorship were beyond their reach.
The actions of the PEMRA and the federal ministry of information and broadcasting against the BBC Pakistan news bulletins are in violation of Article 19 of the Constitution of Pakistan that guarantees the freedom of speech, expression and the press. They are also in the violation of Article 19 of UN International Covenant of Civil and Political rights (ICCPR). The ICCPR states in its commentary that “this is a right to which the Covenant permits no exception or restrictions”. It specifies that freedom of expression includes not only freedom to impart information and ideas of all kinds, but also freedom to seek and receive them through whatever medium and regardless of frontiers. Pakistan is a signatory to the ICCPR and pledged before the UN Human Rights Council in May 2008 that Pakistan will ratify the ICCPR which means that all the articles of ICCPR will be made part of the country’s laws.
It is also against the by-laws of the PEMRA which yield 10% of the national broadcasting time to foreign broadcasting.
Please intervene to immediately restore the broadcasting of the BBC news and allow all radio stations to relay their news, according to Sindh High Court’s decision. I also urge you to put an end to censorship of BBC Pakistan, as well as that of every media in Pakistan. It is an illegal and unconstitutional practice and a gross violation of international standards of freedom of expression and freedom of the press, as well as Pakistan’s international commitment to implement these rights.
Yours sincerely,
—————-
PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
1. Mr. Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani
Prime Minister of Pakistan
Prime Minister House
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: + 92 51 9221596
E-mail: secretary@cabinet.gov.pk
2. Mr. Qamar Zaman Kaira
Federal Minister of Information and Broadcasting
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92-51-9207629
3. Mr.Syed Mumtaz Alam Gillani
Federal Minister for Human Rights
Ministry of Human Rights
Old US Aid building
Ata Turk Avenue
G-5, Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +9251-9204108
Email: sarfraz_yousuf@yahoo.com
4. Dr. Faqir Hussain
Registrar
Supreme Court of Pakistan
Constitution Avenue, Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: + 92 51 9213452
E-mail: mail@supremecourt.gov.pk
5. Chief Justice of Sindh High Court
High Court Building
Saddar, Karachi
Sindh Province
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 21 9213220
E-mail: info@sindhhighcourt.gov.pk
6. Chairman of PEMRA
PEMRA HEAD QUARTERS G-8/1 Mavue Area
Islamabad
Tel: +92-51-9107101
Fax: +92-51-9107104
Email: chairman@pemra.gov.pk
7. Major General Athar Abbas
Director General of Inter Services Public Relations
Hilal Road, Rawalpindi
PAKISTAN
Tel: +92-51-9271605
Fax: +92-51-9271601
Email: ispr@ispr.gov.pk
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrc.asia)
