Musharraf Closes Tv Stations As Democracy Calls Grow

President Pervez Musharraf has cracked down on Pakistan's television networks in a move against growing calls for a return to democracy. Several stations were taken off the air at the weekend and yesterday Gen Musharraf introduced emergency legislation providing for stiff fines and the closure of channels deemed to have broken the law.

The military-dominated government is angry at what it calls "sensationalist" coverage of the crisis surrounding the suspended chief justice, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. On Sunday the largest channel, Geo News, which claims 30 million viewers, was taken off air after it ignored warnings not to broadcast a popular current affairs show.

"We had an interview with Imran Khan followed by a discussion about the military in politics. Suddenly it all went blank," said Geo's president, Imran Aslan.

The network earlier received a letter urging it not to air programs that promote an "anti-state attitude" or "cast aspersions against the judiciary and the integrity of the armed forces".

At the same time its rival Aaj Television found its broadcasts were being shunted to obscure frequencies that most viewers could not find. "They have practically shut us down in most parts of Pakistan," said Talat Hussain, director of news and current affairs.

The television war is a measure of the seriousness of Pakistan's burgeoning political crisis. After meeting at army headquarters on Friday the army's top generals issued a rare public statement stressing their support for Gen Musharraf in his dual role as president and military chief. Gen Musharraf, in turn, assured the generals that "nobody will be allowed to bring instability to the country".

The military was infuriated by television coverage six days earlier that showed thousands of supporters of the chief justice shouting "Musharraf is a dog!" and "The generals are traitors!" at the gates of the supreme court. Since then all public meetings of more than five people have been banned in Islamabad and television stations have been ordered to stop live broadcasts of the chief justice's rallies.

The legislation introduced yesterday provides for fines of up to £85,000 and the suspension of a station's license.

"We have given unprecedented freedom to the press, unlimited freedom," said the information minister, Tariq Azim. "But the only thing that is missing is balance. They have no sense of responsibility."

Critics say the move exposes Gen Musharraf - who has bragged about the growth of television as proof of his "enlightened moderation" - as an old fashioned dictator. Reporters Without Borders called the regulations "a new stage in the move back to the sinister times of state censorship".

On March 9 Pakistanis were outraged at images of a uniformed Gen Musharraf trying to dismiss Mr Chaudhry. Public anger has been fanned by pictures of baton-wielding police attacking lawyers, and pro-government militants shooting at television stations.

Mr Azim said the broadcasting authority would meet the channels today to try to end the confrontation. "We just want them to apply the code of ethics," he said.

But Mr Hussain said: "The battle is on. They obviously haven't read Pakistan's history. Every dictator and civilian autocrat has tried to do this. All have lived to rue the day."