Pak media demands removal of restrictions

Stepping up pressure on President Pervez Musharraf, a belligerent Pakistani media today demanded immediate lifting of restrictions on it.

Within hours of imposing an emergency on Saturday, Musharraf had promulgated two ordinances prohibiting the print and the electronic media from publishing or broadcasting "statements that abet terrorist activities or terrorism".

The Press, Newspapers, News Agencies and Books Registration Ordinance of 2002 restricts the publication of any matter based on sectarianism, ethnicism or racialism or that defames and brings into ridicule or disrepute the head of state or members of the armed forces, executive, judicial or legislative organs.

The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority Ordinance 2002 directs the channels to ensure that no anchor, moderator or host propagates any opinion that is prejudicial to the ideology of Pakistan or the integrity of the country. The ordinance also prohibits foreign broadcasts.

In its editorial, leading English daily the 'Dawn' said, "The curbs on media should be withdrawn forthwith. This is the least the people expect of General Musharraf when he says it was for the country's interest alone that he was forced to resort to emergency rule."