Greedy JANG and Google AdSense

I have always wondered why the media giant, Jang group of newspapers, need to put AdSense and other advertisements on their website to generate money. They already are getting helluva amount and having such ads do not make their site appear any neat. Furthermore, they have clogged the website with Adsense, and have, apparently, absolutely no control over which ads are displayed. This is bad, because on one end, they are putting up articles and TV shows following some policy and the ads sometimes do not suit that. Here is a screenshot of the ad that I’m currently getting on Jang’s website.

Why I’m pointing to this particular ad is because the same media group bashed the government when there were reports of former President meeting Israeli PM (or FM), echoing public sentiments. Any excuse such as no control over Adsense will be useless because they really don’t need to put up Adsense on their website.

Sharif, A Destroyer of National Institutions – Hamid Gul

It is interesting to note how people tend to forget their affiliations with time. Almost ten years ago, Lt. Gen (r) Hamid Gul vehemently supported the military coup and said that the people of Pakistan have rejected both Bhutto and Sharif. He opposed the Sharif government and described his sacking of the then Chief of Army Staff as unconstitutional. Turns out, Sharif is the man that he now loves.

Obviously many of my dear readers will not believe what I’m saying, therefore I’m providing an audio link to BBC and the news article as well. Honestly, its not a surprise at all to me. How can we believe in such people, or even listen to them given what they have done in their past? And if they claim to have repented, then so did Zardari and Sharif, and their promises!

Hamid Gul, speaking to coup, on Oct 1999 coup: http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/470000/audio/_473950_gul.ram

News Article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/473297.stm

GEO does it again!!

It’s GEO again with their careless, absurd and nonsensical reporting. So what is it this time? The famous red BREAKING NEWS tape appeared reporting the death of the legenday poet Ahmed Faraz in Chicago, while he was still alive, going through hell. This appeared on their TV channel as well as their up-to-date website. An hour or so later, another news item appeared on the same site reporting the severe illness of Ahmed Faraz. No apologies, no regrets! What should we call this? Independence of media? Newsmaking? Or simply bullshit?

You can see the image of both the news items that appeared online (note the timestamp). It’s time someone should sue these newsmakers.

Whether Ahmed Faraz lives or not is a different issue, the news certainly expose the irresponsible behaviour of the most popular (is it?!) and least responsible news channel of Pakistan.

Their slogan should be rearranged to JEENAY DO, GEO!

GEO Changes Tone

More surprisingly, than refreshingly, the two famous programs on GEO namely Capital Talk and Aaj Kamran Khan Kay Saath and the distinguished guests on them had very different opinions.

• Ansar Abbasi said that is is unfair to blame the President for everything that is happening and the Parliament should be held responsible. He said that his sources have revealed that it wasn’t the President (alone) behind the closure of GEO’s programs in Dubai and the court decision against Nawaz Sharif, but the Government of Pakistan had a major role in that as well.
• Mr. Abbasi also alleged some PML-N leaders who had to relinquish their lucrative ministries were willing to accept PCO judges to get those back! It’s on record folks, watch Capital Talk (23rd June). He mentioned that Ishaq Dar approved the increase in the number of judges on behalf of PML-N and later Nawaz Sharif claimed of having no idea about it.
• Absar Alam, another member of anti-Musharraf campaign, called Yousuf Gilani a dummy PM (finally!). He reasoned that Shaukat Aziz was given much more press coverage, had a greater role in decision-making and had a better image among people while Gilani isn’t perceived of making even minor decisions without daddy’s nod. He also cited few examples in the program of Kamran Khan dated 23rd June.
• Ansar Abbasi also alleged that all decisions are being made at the Zardari House (late to realise Mr. Abbasi?).

This should exonerate President Musharraf of the unusual and absurd blames that were charged against him by these journalists and the political parties. What I see now is that the guns of these journalists and media men have been redirected from the President House to Zardari House.

Dubai tells Pakistani Geo TV to drop shows

LONDON (Reuters) – Dubai-based Pakistani television station Geo has been warned by Dubai authorities it could lose its licence unless it drops two talk shows, Western journalist groups said on Thursday.

The private channel’s two shows had given wide coverage to efforts to reinstate judges dismissed by Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf after he imposed emergency rule in November, Paris-based Reporters Without Borders said in a statement.

GEO TV president Imran Aslam told Reporters Without Borders Dubai authorities had told him the station would lose its licence if the two talk shows were not taken off the air, a statement by the group said.

"Officials at Dubai Media City, where the GEO TV group is based, said these programmes threatened UAE’s relations with a friendly country," it said.

A station official in Dubai contacted by Reuters declined to comment.

Officials at the Dubai Media City, a free zone set up to attract global media organizations, could not immediately be reached for comment.

The International Federation of Journalists called in a statement on its website on the United Arab Emirates government "to explain why, and on whose authority, it asked the independent Pakistan television broadcaster to cancel the programs."

Geo’s broadcasts out of Dubai, a regional trade and tourism hub in the United Arab Emirates, were blocked by authorities in the Gulf emirate for several weeks in November and December after the imposition of emergency rule.

News Source: Reuters

Yes I can hear all of them saying Musharraf is behind this too! Funny how everything is redirected to the President when a functional elected government is intact. I guess GEO will consider moving to London yet again. There is a point highlighted in bold text above that the IFJ wants the UAE government to explain that on "whose authority" it has asked the independent broadcaster to cancel its programs. Well, isn’t the answer obvious? The UAE government has the prerogative to do whatever it considers best for its national interests. Since GEO is broadcasting from Dubai, they have to abide by the rules of the land. Guess what? They can’t march against any ruling in Dubai