Adil Najam Most of us are very familiar with the Dawn](http://dawn.com/) newspaper masthead which proudly proclaims “Founded by Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah.” This famous photograph of Mr. Jinnah reading an early issue of Dawn has also been seen many many times by most of us. As the oldest major English daily in Pakistan and with a proud and illustrious history of editorial courage and independence, Dawn has eared a unique and uniquely important position in Pakistani journalism. Its reputation has only been enhanced by the equally -and often even more - courageous journalism of the monthly news magazine Herald](http://www.dawn.com/herald/), which is also published by the same publishers. According to the Dawn group and its senor editors and reporters, the newspaper is now under serious pressure from the government for the exact independence and journalistic excellence that has made it so respected amongst Pakistanis. The Dawn group has claimed for some time now that it is being pressured through the withholding of government ads, which are asignificant part of any newspaper’s revenue (and survival) in Pakistan. While it is obviously an advertiser’s choice to advertise wherever they want, the issue of government ads is different and especially a ban on an important and mass-selling newspaper like Dawn is difficult to justify on market rationality.
Things have obviously taken a turn for the worse for Dawn because a long email from Hameed Haroon, the CEO and publisher of the Dawn Group of Newspaper, accompanied by a set of four very detailed annexes is now circulating over email.
The case that Hameed Haroon makes is worth a read, as are the four annexes - which you can **download in PDF format **here: Annex A, Annex B, Annex C, Annex D. We reproduce the email in full here for the readers to decide for themselves what they think about it.
March 23, 2007
Dear Madam / Sir,
I am writing to draw your attention to an important matter that indicates the rapidly worsening environment for the freedom of press in Pakistan.
It has always been difficult for governments to coexist with a free and independent press in Pakistan. Of late, however, the government headed by President Musharraf has become increasingly intolerant towards criticism in the press and towards the publishing of news that reflects poorly on the performance of his government on security matters.
One of the intended casualties of this swelling hostility between government and press in Pakistan is the DAWN Group of Newspapers, the country’s largest independent English language newspaper and magazines publishing house.
Since December 2006, the DAWN Group is facing massive advertising cuts equivalent to two thirds of total government advertising. This has occurred primarily as a consequence of a decision ostensibly taken by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz’s government, but in reality ordered by General Musharraf and engineered by several of his advisors that constitute the government’s inner cabinet.
It is clear that objections to the propriety of the DAWN Group’s editorial policies emanate mainly from President Musharraf’s office and his stance is heavily influenced by key advisors who have been entrusted with responsibility for implementing crisis management and conflict control in flashpoint areas. Particularly sensitive for the agreement are the escalating developments in Pakistan’s western province of Baluchistan, and in the tribal agencies of North & South Wazirstan on the Afghan border. Also irksome have been the DAWN Group’s related attempts to monitor a recurring tendency toward covert militancy among responsible decision-makers in government.
The govt mostly concentrated on hitting small regional newspapers, now they are trying to curtail the freedom of media for big outlets like Geo and Dawn.
We have had a relative press freedom for decades, the sooner this govt goes, the better
No actually a major allegation against the govt's pressure tactics is that there are adv restrictions.
Why the 4 Page CBR supplement on Wed 28 Mar 2007 and 2 Page Hydel Potential supplement from govt of NWFP on Mon 26 Mar?
These are just 2 from this week so far.
There are dozens only from the govt in a month.
No actually a major allegation against the govt's pressure tactics is that there are adv restrictions.
Why the 4 Page CBR supplement on Wed 28 Mar 2007 and 2 Page Hydel Potential supplement from govt of NWFP on Mon 26 Mar?
These are just 2 from this week so far.
There are dozens only from the govt in a month.
Hameed Haroon has specifically stated that the govt. has not withdrawn all the ads outright rather it has reduced the ads by almost 75%. Clever move by the govt. given Sindh govt. had already lost a court battle to DAWN after it withdrew the ads completely.
Pemra likely to withdraw petition: PHPL TV licence
The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) is likely to withdraw its petition filed in the Supreme Court against the consent orders of Sindh High Court (SHC) for the grant of licence to Pakistan Herald Publications (Pvt) Limited (PHPL) to establish a satellite television broadcast station. According to PHPL’s counsel Munir A. Malik, the petition will be withdrawn on Wednesday during hearing of the case by a two-member bench comprising Justice Nawaz Abbasi and Justice Raja Fayyaz. In the petition Pemra had taken the view that under its Rule 17(5) it could not grant cross-ownership licence to the PHPL. Meanwhile, Pemra has provided the uplinking facility to another private TV channel (Aaj). In the SHC, the PHPL had filed a constitutional petition against the Federation of Pakistan and the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) in Karachi, challenging the qualifications prescribed for eligible applicants for the grant of a licence to establish satellite television broadcast station. The PHPL has contended that the constitutional right of freedom of the press does not permit Pemra to deny a broadcast licence for the sole reason that the applicants are owners or publishers of print media. The petition maintains that Pemra’s rules prescribing such a requirement are in conflict with the Pemra Ordinance itself.
It’s seems more a case of Dawn applying the pressure on the government i.e. through blackmail rather than the other way round. Reminds me of the thread posted by Spock on the dirty and corrupt ways of Pakistani journalists. Shame on the Dawn Group. :nook: