THE 2013 GENERAL ELECTIONS WERE MASSIVELY RIGGED, badly mismanaged, and widely considered people’s mandate-stolen. Due to these factors, PML-N easily managed to form government in the centre under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif. Real facts and what happened in the election, gradually divulged as the time passed and public came to know that their mandate had been stolen.
THE 2013 GENERAL ELECTIONS WERE MASSIVELY RIGGED, badly mismanaged, and widely considered people’s mandate-stolen. Due to these factors, PML-N easily managed to form government in the centre under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif. Real facts and what happened in the election, gradually divulged as the time passed and public came to know that their mandate had been stolen.
The massive rigging done under well-planning and strategy, greatly benefited PML-N, and PTI was the most affected party whose vote bank was stolen fraudulently. Against those who did such rigging on a massive scale, Imran Khan and his party, Pakistan Tehrik Insaf, knocked the doors of Election Commission, Election Tribunal, High Courts, Supreme Court and Parliament to get justice but no one listened to him and the ruling PML-N even didn’t spare ridiculing him.
Frustrated, disappointed, and flabbergasted on the government’s lukewarm response and the irresponsiveness of state’s trammeled institutions, Imran Khan eventually came to public for justice. He had declared earlier that he would resort to public demonstrations against PML-N government if his legal, constitutional and legitimate demands were not met.
So Imran Khan started addressing large gatherings of people in the country, particularly in Punjab, against the rigging in last year election and the resultant unconstitutional government of Nawaz Sharif. PML-N government which should have met the genuine demands of Imran Khan, was still looking down on PTI sarcastically. Imran Khan warned the government to open up four heavily-rigged constituencies, but it seemed that whatever he tells goes in one ear and out the other. Upon such tepid, apathetic and lackadaisical attitude of the government, he announced 14 August to be the day of freedom, and Azadi March will be launched from Lahore to the capital for justice.
Azadi March was launched as scheduled, paralleled with Inqilab March leading by Dr. Tahir ul Qadri of Pakistan Awami Tehreek. Government effortlessly tried to stop these two marches, though it should have met their lawful demands, but it did the opposite.
Now come to the role of Geo TV it played. Its role has been very negative, biased and one-sided not only about these two dharnas but the general election of last year as well. Last year it broadcast on-air the victory speech of Nawaz Sharif at a time when only 18 percent poll result was announced unofficially. How could Nawaz Sharif declare himself victorious on a mere 18 percent poll result? It’s a big question and didn’t answer so far. It shows that there was something wrong known to the channel and Nawaz Sharif himself. If Nawaz Sharif declared himself victorious on a mere 18 percent poll result, so surely he would have known of the remaining 82 percent poll result and so did the Geo TV.
That whole episode transpired so preternaturally, unexpectedly and all of a sudden that public thought that PML-N had got a landslide victory. Pre-election atmosphere, public thinking and predilection for change had offered a different scenario, but as the chain of events unfolded, it came up with a starkly different setting where PML-N emerged as the majority party. The victory speech of Nawaz Sharif on a mere 18 percent poll result, aired on Geo TV, heralded that the presupposed public opinion and political pundits’ estimations were wrong and PTI’s fame and recognized superiority was only a media-hype. At least PML-N tried to give that impression to public but public was greatly astounded to see the results and soon came to know about the bogus ballot papers, unfair roles of ROS and massively planned-rigging.
It’s uncomprehending for common people that how and why Nawaz Sharif did a victory speech on poll results no more than 18 percent. Common sense tells that one can’t become a prime minister on a merely 18 percent poll results, one has to wait until whole results come. However, it’s possible, one can know precisely about the remaining 80 percent poll result if one intentionally plans prior to election and then heavily rig it through Returning Officers. As planned, PML-N did it exactly. So Nawaz Sharif did a victory speech as planned, flanked by Shahbaz Sharif and other senior leaders of PML-N, and aired on Geo TV exclusively.
In a press conference in Islamabad on May 11, 2014, Imran Khan announced to boycott Geo TV and Jang Group over its alleged involving in rigging in the General Election last year. He added that Jang Group and Geo TV influenced the election results. He also forbade his party’s representatives from participating in any talk shows or other program organised by Jang Group. Imran Khan further said that Jang Group promotes ‘Aman Ki Asha’ on eastern border of the country whereas it urges to fight a war on the western border. He asserted that the media group had benefited from siding with PML-N. He also divulged about foreign funding given to the media group.
Disgruntled and disappointed from the state’s handicapped institutions, Imran Khan launched ‘Azadi March’ to mount pressure on Nawaz Sharif to tender resignation and form an independent judicial commission to thoroughly investigate the rigging done deliberately in last year general election. Had the political elites and forces of stats quo, who suck the blood of poor people for their survival, luxurious lifestyle and extravagant living, not united in the parliament to save ‘democracy’ from derailment, Nawaz’s government would have toppled down like a crumbling building. Those ‘evil forces’ dashed upon the hopes of common people and once again reasserted that they (common people) are subhumans and slaves of political elites.
Geo TV has not only sided with PML-N but also tried and still continuing anti-PTI and anti-revolutionary reporting and airing program having hatred, ill will and biased tendencies. It has violated repeatedly the PEMRA Rules 2009 and its code of conduct for media broadcasters. It specifically violated the PEMRA rules of 2009 which direct that no program shall be aired which-
(1) contains aspersions against the Judiciary and integrity of the Armed Forces of Pakistan;
- maligns or slanders any individual in person or certain groups, segments of social, public and moral life of the country;
- brings into contempt Pakistan or its people or tends to undermine its integrity or solidarity as an independent and sovereign country;
- contains material which is against the ideology of Pakistan or Islamic values.
It violated the above rules of PEMRA from time to time and never bothered to tender apology except in ISI-Geo controversy. It baselessly blamed ISI and its former Director General, Lieutenant General Zaheer ul Islam, for attack on Hamid Mir. Its baseless allegations aspersed the reputation and integrity of the armed forces of Pakistan. It has not only been blamed ISI but also aired its chief’s photo ostentatiously for several hours on its channel without presenting solid evidence. Its intentional attempt to malign and defame ISI, led to anti-Pakistan and anti-ISI talk shows and rumours in India and the West. Later it repented on its blunder and unwillingly tendered apology. Its broadcasting were later suspended for a few days.
Geo TV aired a program which was derogatory, hurtful and abusive against Ahl-e-Bet. It invited Veena Malik and her husband to its programme and blasphemed Islam, and its values. It designed to aim at Hazrat Ali (RA) and Hazrat Fatma (RA). That programme wrecked havoc across the whole country and public came to streets against Jang Group and Geo TV. People burned its vehicles, newspapers and harassed its reporters, correspondents and other newsmen. It clearly violated Islamic values by airing such program freely. The PML-N government did nothing against Geo TV and it continued its abusive program. The failure of the government on part of Geo TV unleashed further such derogatory program. It runs a program named ‘B-Tonight’ which is an amalgamation of vulgarity, obscenity and smuttiness. It is totally against the culture, values, morals and ethics of our country and religion. Its ulterior motives are to spread obscenity and immorality among the people.
The PMLN-funded Jang Group unveiled its true face during the recent dharnas of PTI and PAT. Its biased-reporting led to violence against its cameramen and reporters. It ceaselessly tried to present PML-N government as people-elected and going in the right direction. It organised anti-PTI talk shows and programs while inviting paid-analysts to express their views against PTI and PAT. It can’t digest the popularity, fame and politically reputed-stature of PTI and Imran Khan and came up with biased-reporting and character assassination practices. But it’s certain that it won’t carry out its malicious and vindictive aims to save incompetent Nawaz government.
It airs programs which continuously committing character assassination of Imran Khan. It has crossed the limits for all intents and purposes. It violates PEMRA rules boldly, bumptiously and very arrogantly. There’s no one in the country to leash this conceited, vile and vicious media group which is anti-state, anti-Pakistan, anti-Islam and anti-public. Masses are the source of ultimate power and this power can restrain and even teach it a lesson if it is not restrained from its anti-Pakistan activities.
Geo TV must be made to honor PEMRA rules otherwise its license should be suspended. It is working on a foreign agenda whose main aim is to defame and destabilize Pakistan and its armed forces. It unceasingly links the current revolutionary movements with military establishment. It disseminated falsely that military establishment is behind the current upheaval. It also fallaciously influenced public opinion but thanks to other patriotic channels who provided nationwide coverage to PTI’s dharnas and Jalsas, and reported positively unlike anti-state Geo TV. DG ISPR Maj. Gen Asim Salim Bajwah rejected downright the allegations that Army is behind the current political turmoil. It’s a slap in the face of Geo TV which ceaselessly claimed that GHQ is involved in the ongoing political agitation.
To sum up, Jang Group and Geo TV has ridiculed the popular revolutionary movement of Pakistani people for justice, and defied all norms, and its animosity toward state and people of Pakistan knows no bounds. It is playing a dirty game with the feelings of common people. It has mortified the sentiments of Pakistani people and pursuing an agenda which is detrimental to the national interests of our country. It gave the nation nothing but hopelessness, disappointment and frustration. It must be leashed from airing anti-state, anti-public programs and talk-shows otherwise it must be banned for ever.
