Govt pressure forces us to shut down: Pak TV Channels

Nov 17: The impact of emergency rule has been darken vigorously as two Pakistani private television channels have been called to switch off their services from Friday midnight till unknown period of time as information provided by the television channels via broadcasting their last services in the last midnight.

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Pakistani news channels have blamed it for the emergency ruling imposed by General Pervez Musharraf. According to Geo TV and ‘ARY’ new channel, “Pak government has forced us to switch off all the services”. Geo and ARY television channels have got the order of foreign government (from where their services were being broadcast) on the back of Pakistani government to discontinue their service from the country that had already shifted to Dubai to broadcast their services when the emergency ruling were imposed in the country.

A senior correspondent and anchor appears on the television screen on Friday midnight and announced, "We have been told by the Media City (Dubai) that our transmission will be shut down. This is all I can say at the moment."

Geo television is known as a very reputed channel that had been broadcasting ‘the real pictures of emergency ruling’ as said by a senior member of network. ‘ARY’ channel is also a well-reputed independent channel.

Geo television has already faced an offence when Pakistan police had attacked on its office in March when it covered and broadcast the confrontation scene held between lawyers and the authority over Musharraf's attempt to sack former Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar M Chaudhry.

All the domestic and foreign news channels had shifted abroad just before the declaration of the state of emergency on November 03. Though Pakistani authority has ordered to switch off their connection to all local and cable channels. The services of private channels were available only on either abroad, outside from Pakistan or on the satellite dish channels. But the channels have likely to decided to confront the government’s decision as they have challenged the government’s decision before the Sindh high court. The hearing of this challenge would be held on November 20.

This might be the longest and biggest news blackout in Pak history as Pakistani viewers can watch out only government and state-run news channels while remaining the other independent channels have not permitted to beam their services until the next decission comes out or the court orders.