Mass Media in Pakistan

(MCM304)
Project # 01

Project Title:
Analyze and compare the state of Freedom of Mass media during President
Zardari’s and Musharraf’s regime.

Prepared by:
Student name: Irfan Ramzan
Student Id: bc080200113

Prepared for:
Prof: Syed Mohammad mehdi

Submitted Date: 6/11/2009

Project Title:
Analyze and compare the state of Freedom of Mass media during
President Zardari’s and Musharraf’s regime.

Introduction
As we are living in the age of information explosion, where the world has shrunk into the
global village. Today the vital role of mass media in the society is that, it is the thinking
mode of any society. The most important role of the mass media is to provide the public
with accurate, comprehensive and unbiased information on government politics and
current events. In Pakistan mass media has come a long way. Today Pakistani media has
started to exert itself and is well on its way to achieve a more meaningful and its status.
A great writer Steffen Cohen in his book “The idea of Pakistan” has acknowledge the
fact that “The media in today Pakistan is perhaps the freest in the region and many
other parts of the world.”
The media in our country having such an influence on our lives, it has both harmful and
beneficial effects. Beneficial because it provides us all the information we need from all
over the world, it entertain us and at the same time it help us to find the more about the
topic we are interested in.
From 2002, under General Musharraf, media faced a decisive development that would
lead to a boom in Pakistani electronic media and paved the way to it gaining political
influence New liberal media laws broke the state’s monopoly on electronic media. TV
broadcasting and FM radio licenses issued to private media outlets.

Freedom of Mass Media

The term and the concept of “mass media” appeared at the beginning of the
20th century as a consequence of the rapid increase of industry and the
development of the nation state. The mass media appeared as a solution to the
Requirement that people be more quickly and effectively informed of major
Changes occurring throughout the world.
Mass media refers specifically to that section of the media focused on reaching a
Very large audience such as the population of a nation state. Among the mass
Media we include radio, TV, newspapers, and today, the Internet, as means to
Reach a large group of people. The mass media has played an important role and has
held enormous power to change society. The media can contribute to changing peoples’
mindsets and lives, and it can affect their interactions with and within society and the
environment.

If we talk about the freedom of mass media in Pakistan so today in Pakistan the media
have a completely free hand to discuss any issue and to extent without any official
interference, censorship, and restriction. Therefore, the media is very critical these days
and openly discusses those issues which could not be touched upon the past. The level of
freedom in Pakistan is now very high. Even sacred cows in Pakistan are being criticized.
For Example: Armed force would never be discussed in media in the past.
If we look back in the Musharraf regime so the media was deregularized and about 80
new channel and many newspaper were allowed to open and operate. Today the media is
thriving with new media channels and newspaper coming up. There is no Government
restriction over any kind of reporting.

Mass Media in Pakistan

The importance of media today is immense. Mass communicated media saturate the
industrialized world. The television in the living room, the newspaper at the doorstep, the
radio in the car. If Pakistan is going to make a successful transition to democracy, the
media must be able to perform its role as a watchdog -holding politicians, the state
apparatus and army accountable and keeping the public well informed. Mass Media has
become a major sector of economy over the last ten years. The electronic media has
overwhelmingly shifted from the hands of pubic sector to private sector. Investment,
innovation and competition characterize the growth of the sector. Medium Term
Development Framework (MTDF) 2005-10 envisaged an investment of Rs 5 billion over
five years in the Mass Media sector.

Comparative Analysis
Musharraf Regime
The evolution of Pakistan during Musharraf tunture in power deserves particular
attention. Although born out of a military takeover in Oct 1999. It was the first time after
the death of Gen. Zia ul Haq, the legislator complete his entire mandate. A largely
civilians government and a devolution plan, which was supposed to be an additional
steps toward the true democratization of Pakistan.
Musharraf regime did not reinforce democracy but the role and the presence of army in
almost every sector of public life in Pakistan. The army not only controlled key post of
the economy but also establish its grip on administration, training and promotion.
In the era of Musharraf many new TV channels and newspaper were allowed to open and
operate. But where as the news channels were privatized, on the other hand also faces
many restrictions. The transmissions of many news channels were stopped. After it many
journalist and media persons were started campaign against the Musharraf and his
party. In the bad days of media, media also did not stop to give the news and also tried to
give the awareness of every story of the world.
The major issues which media is covered in the Musharraf regime is 2002 election in
which Musharraf take again oath as the President of Pakistan. In this election Musharraf
won by the heavy votes. And majority of Pakistan politician’s party supported him.
Another issue which was in the era of Muharraf is denunciation of extremism. On
1/Jan/2002 Musharraf gave a landmark speech against Islamic extremism, a few months
after 11 September. He unequivocally condemned all acts of terrorism and pledged to
combat Islamic extremism and lawlessness within Pakistan itself.
Where as many wrong decision Musharraf took in his regime. On the other hand some
great decision he also takes. In which some are:
Under Musharraf's tenure, Pakistan saw exceptional setup of 47 universities, including
Virtual University, under the supervision of Higher Education Commission. Most of the
universities were of international standards. Pakistan now has a total of 245,682
educational institutions in all categories, including 164,579 (i.e. 67 percent) in the public
sector and 81,103 (i.e. 100 percent) in the private sector, reports the National Education
Census (NEC-2005).
The National Assembly voted in favor of the “Protection of Women bill” on 15 Nov 2006
and the Senate approved it on 23 Nov 2006. President General Pervez Musharraf signed
into law the “Protection of Women Bill”, on 1 December 2006. The bill places rape laws
under the penal code and does away with harsh conditions that previously required
victims to produce four male witnesses and exposed them to prosecution for adultery if
they were unable to prove the crime.
According to the transparency international, Pakistan has improved its rating under
Musharraf regime. From being 11th most corrupt country to fall down 41st. a survey by
Transparency international, Pakistan rating improved 11th most corrupt country in 2001
to 24th. Another issue in the Musharraf regime is that when the situation of a country is
more serious so, on 3/Nov/2007 Musharraf declared emergency in Pakistan. He
suspended the constitution, imposed state of emergency, and fired the Chief justice of
Supreme Court.
Impeachment movement and resignation is also an issue which is covered in the
Musharraf regime that PPP and PML (N) agreed to force Musharraf to step down and
begin his impeachment. Zardari and Nawaz announced sending a formal request or joint
charge sheet that he step down, and impeach him through parliament process upon
refusal however Musharraf said; “I will defeat those who will try to push me to the wall.
If they use their rights to oust me, I have the right to defend myself”. So after sometime
on 18/Aug/2008 in his speech, Musharraf announced that he resigned.
The Musharraf regime ended on the date of 18/Aug/2008. In his regime he took much
decision in which some are the good for the public interest and some are not. Like in his
era he establishes 47 new universities and women protection bill for the women. And
many others. But also in his regime he took many wrong decisions like stopped the
transmission of many news channels, and suspended the Chief justice of Pakistan.

Zardari Regime
Asif Ali Zardari is the 11th and current President of Pakistan and the co-chairmen of
Pakistan peoples party (PPP). In election Zardari secured 281 votes out of 426 valid
votes polled in the parliament. Zardari was sworn in by Chief justice Abdul Hamid
Dogar in a ceremony at presidential place on sep/9/2008. After being president Zardari
first picked China as the first state visit after being elected in September 2008 elections.
As Zardari take oath on 2008 he is not cover his long political path at this time. But some
measure issues which he faces in his political career or in his regime are as:
A few weeks ago, a top diplomat flew into Dubai and then Islamabad for intensive
consultations with the PPP leadership on how to divert the national media and political
focus from the so-called Minus-one and Minus-Zardari formulas based on the NRO cases
pending in the Supreme Court, the demand for a trial of General Musharraf and the
pressure to scrap the 17th Amendment. A major part of the media groups backed by the
PML-N which was said to be using this campaign to build pressure on Zardari for
conceding the changes in the 17th Amendment.
Another issue is that in his era Zardari was forced to restore the Chief justice of
Pakistan. President Asif Ali Zardari and his party also started Benazir income support
scheme for the poor peoples. This scheme support to those peoples who are free and have
nothing to do to earn money.
Much like Musharraf, Zardari offers words of concern for places like Swat but few
actions. Actions are reserved for political opponents like the Sharif brothers and their
PML, which was doing an administratively decent job of ruling the Punjab until it was
derailed a few days ago, and for civil society activists like those involved in the lawyers’
movement, who are once again threatening a long march if the real Chief Justice is not
restored. The mere thought of the long march has led Zardari to topple the
democratically-elected government in Punjab, from where the long march would have
commenced.
President Zardari visits China every three months to acknowledge that friendship and
tell the great Chinese people of the special love and relationship Pakistanis have for
their Chinese friends.

Conclusion
Media nowadays is considered a window for learning and is also considered to be our
main window to the world. Media has evolved to simple text in papers, to voices in
radios, to voices with pictures in television and movies, and off course now to an
internet. After the comparative study we analysis that many times media faces many
problems when media tries and give awareness about the condition and the government
program to the people. If we look briefly in the era of Musharraf so media faces many
problems and many many days the transmission of some channels are stopped. Like Geo
and Ary News channel and faces many lose. And in the Zardari era as he came in 2008
and not spend much in politics. But in his small era some channel also face problems. I
think it 2 or 3 times or may be many times transmission of news channel was stopped to
broadcast. Due to this Zardari party member Sherry Rehman who was the minister of
information give resigned due to stopping the transmission.

Recommendation
If any country wants to develop and want to make his identity he needs to self-determine
the media. Media is not only for give the news and provide the information to the general
public. But it also helps the government to take the suggestion from the peoples about his
campaign. From the first day and today media is facing many problems. Here some for
the media that media should not have cross the limit. Media tries to work under the
ethics and code of conduct. Today it is on the hand of media to send the bad impression
on the international level about the nation or save the nation. If media and government
work individually it will good for both of them as well as for the nation.

Reference:
Internet
www.wikipedia.com
www.scribd.com

E-books:
Free press vs. fair trials: examining publicity's role in trial