24 News continues to suffer
JournalismPakistan.com | Published: 3 April 2019
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24 News remains off most cable channels, and now PTCL Broadband has blocked it too. Senior journalist Murtaza Solangi questions the authorities' motives regarding these actions.Summary
ISLAMABAD – As 24NewsTelevision remained off most cable networks, a senior journalist said Wednesday that PTCL Broadband had also now blocked it.
Murtaza Solangi, a former director general of Radio Pakistan, pointed this out on Twitter.
He asked why were the authorities so scared of Najam Sethi and what was regulator PEMRA doing about it.
Removed from most cable channels, now channel 24 is removed from @PTCLOfficial broadband too. Why are they so scared of @najamsethi ? What is @reportpemra doing about it? بÚ'ا دشمن بنا پھرتا ÛÛ' جو اک Ú†Ú'یا سÛ' ڈرتا ÛÛ'
— Democrat Murtaza Solangi (@murtazasolangi) April 3, 2019
Endorsing Solangi’s tweet, Sethi said: “Good questions!.”
Sethi is at the center of it all. He spoke about tensions in the civil-military relations and also discussed Prime Minister Imran Khan’s marriage in his programs.
ایک Ù¹ÛŒ ÙˆÛŒ چینل اور اینکر جس تواتر سÛ' اس خواÛØ´ کا اظÛار کر رÛÛ' Ûیں Ú©Û Ú©Ø³ÛŒ Ø·Ø±Ø Ø³ÙˆÙ„ Øکومت اور سلامتی Ú©Û' اداروں میں دراÚ' Ù¾Ú'Û' ان کیلئÛ' عرض ÛÛ' Ú©Û â€œÛزاروں خواÛشیں ایسی Ú©Û Ûر خواÛØ´ پر دم Ù†Ú©Ù„Û'â€Û"Û"Û" اب ان پر کاروائ ÛÙˆ تو Ùوراً جمÛوریت خطرÛ' میں Ø¢ جائÛ' گی، بÛرØال اØتیاط علاج سÛ' بÛتر ÛÛ'
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) March 29, 2019
Responding to his commentary, Federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry without naming Sethi had tweeted that what the analyst wanted was wishful thinking. “Any action against him now would endanger democracy,” he said sarcastically, and then suggested: “Prevention is better than cure.”
KEY POINTS:
- 24 News Television is blocked on PTCL Broadband.
- Murtaza Solangi highlights the government's fear of Najam Sethi.
- PEMRA's inaction raises questions about media censorship.
- Najam Sethi's discussions include sensitive civil-military relations.
- Federal Information Minister comments on the situation indirectly.
