Statement of Support for Dr Ayesha
Dear media colleagues and friends
Academics and other professionals in the US, UK,
Holland, France, Canada, Pakistan and India,
including well known professors Howard Zinn,
Ayesha Jalal, Shahla Haeri, Shahnaz Rouse and
Phillip Oldenburg, have expressed grave concern
about the interference of Dr Ayesha Siddiqa’s
recently published ’Military Inc.: Inside
Pakistan’s Military Economy’ in Pakistan, and the
threats and intimidation she faces.
Please publish, broadcast, disseminate, as you
see fit (text & endorsements below).
thank you
beena sarwar
Cambridge, MA
June 3, 2007
Interference with the book launch in Islamabad on
Friday of the distinguished Pakistani scholar Dr
Ayesha Siddiqa’s ’Military Inc.: Inside
Pakistan’s Military Economy’ gives us grave
concern.
Although Dr Siddiqa was able to use the office of
a non-government organization after hotels
refused to provide a venue, her phone service has
subsequently been repeatedly disrupted as she
gave interviews and she has told the Committee to
Protect Journalists and others that she feels
increasingly isolated and physically threatened.
On Saturday, plainclothes “Special Branch” agents
visited her home town Khanqah Sharif near
Bahalwapur and questioned her employees about Dr.
Siddiqa, her husband and property.
We urge the Pakistan government not to curb
academic freedom. At a time when Pakistan faces
an internal political crisis and a dangerous
regional security situation the need for
information and free expression of ideas only
increases. Dr. Siddiqa has produced thorough
research on important topics that can inform open
debate by all Pakistanis, and indeed others
around the world. She and her work should be
defended, not threatened or suppressed. The
following academics and professionals around the
world endorse this statement:
1. Hassan Abbas, Research Fellow, Kennedy School of Government,
Harvard University, U.S.A.
2. Tahira Abdullah, researcher, development worker Islamabad, Pakistan
3. Syed Adeeb, journalist & President of the Human Rights Foundation
(HRF), U.S.A.
4. Nasir Ahmad MD., FRCS.,FACs, Chief of Otolaryngology /Head &
Neck Surgery, Hurley Medical Center, Flint, Michigan, U.S.A.
5. Salman Ahmad, UN Special Representative, New York, U.S.A.
6. Ishtiaq Ahmed, Professor, Department of Political Science,
Stockholm University, Sweden
7. Imtiaz Ali, International Knight Fellow, Stanford University, U.S.A.
8. Kamran Asdar Ali, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Middle East
Studies
and Asian Studies. University of Texas, Austin
9. Omar Ali MD, Assistant Professor of Pediatric Endocrinology,
Medical College of Wisconsin, U.S.A.
10. Dr Arif Alvi, Central Vice President, Tehreek-e-Insaf, Pakistan
11. Amin Ansari, CEO IT company, Lahore, Pakistan
12. Shaheryar Azhar, moderator, The Forum, 1175 New York, U.S.A.
13. Cassandra Balchin, Director, L.A.W.S. (Legal Awareness, Women &
Society), U.K.
14. Akshay Bakaya, Institut National des Langues et Civilisations
Orientales, Paris, France
15. Julia Bard, writer and editor, Member of the National Union of
Journalists
London, U.K.
16. Amna Buttar, MD, President, Asian American Network Against Abuse
of Human Rights, Middleton, WI, U.S.A.
17. Walter Crump, Commonwealth School, Boston, MA, U.S.A.
18. S.M.A. Ehtisham MD, Bath NY, U.S.A.
19. Drs Khalid Hameed Farooqi, journalist and researcher, Holland
20. Asim Ghani, journalist, Karachi, Pakistan
21. Frederic Grare, Visiting Scholar, Carnegie Endowment for
International Peace, U.S.A.
22. Shahla Haeri, Director, Women’s Studies Program & Associate
Professor of Anthropology, Boston University, MA, U.S.A.
23. Zahra Shahid Hussain, educatioinst, political analyst, Karachi, U.S.A.
24. Zaffar Iqbal, MD & ANAA Board Member, Kingman AZ, U.S.A.
25. Ayesha Jalal, Professor of History, Tufts University, MA, U.S.A.
26. Ruchir Joshi, film maker and writer, New Delhi, India
27. Kalim Irfani, M.D., Pediatrics, Scarsdale, NY, U.S.A.
28. Dr Mahjabeen Islam, Medical Director, Comprehensive Addiction
Services & Odyssey Hospice, Toledo, Ohio, U.S.A.
29. Harsh Kapoor, coordinator, South Asia Citizens Web & ’India
Pakistan Arms race and Militarisation Watch’, France
30. Mohmmad Arshad Khan, Society for Social Justice and Developement
Pakistan, Sialkot
31. Waqas Khwaja, Associate Professor and Chair, English Department
Agnes Scott College, Decatur, GA, U.S.A.
32. Zaheer A. Kidvai, Education Technology Consultant, Karachi, Pakistan
33. Syeda Masood, Kennedy School of Government â*™08, Harvard
University, U.S.A.
34. Andy McCord, freelance writer, past fellow of the Fulbright
program in Pakistan and India, & of the U.S. National Endowment for
the Humanities, New York, U.S.A.
35. Anita Mehta, Fellow, The Radcliffe Institute of Advanced Study,
Harvard University, U.S.A.
36. Zubeida Mustafa, journalist, Karachi, Pakistan
37. Maniza Naqvi, author/development specialist, Washington DC, U.S.A.
38. Akbar Noman, Senior Fellow, Initiative for Policy Dialogue,
Columbia University
New York, NY, U.S.A.
39. Philip Oldenburg, Independent Scholar, New York, U.S.A.
40. Emran Qureshi, Wertheim Fellow, Labor & Worklife Program at
Harvard Law School, U.S.A.
41. Omar Qureshi, History Department, The Brearley School, New York,
U.S.A.
42. Jamil Rashid, Professor: Social Sciences, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
43. Jeff Redding, Oscar M. Ruebhausen Fellow in Law, Yale Law School,
New Haven, U.S.A.
44. David Rosenberg, teacher and writer, Member of the National Union
of teachers
London, U.K.
45. Shahnaz Rouse, Professor of Sociology, Sarah Lawrence College, New
York
46. Gita Sahgal, film maker and writer, U.K.
47. Beena Sarwar, journalist & Fellow, Carr Center for Human Rights
Policy, Harvard University, U.S.A.
48. Malik Sarwar, Senior Vice President, Permal Group, NY, U.S.A.
49. Najmi Sarwar, Vice President Citibank, Executive Director
Developments In Literacy, New York, U.S.A.
50. Sehba Sarwar, Founding Director, Voices Breaking Boundaries,
Houston, U.S.A.
51. Mohsin Sayeed, journalist, Karachi, Pakistan
52. Shaheen Sehbai, media professional, Washington, DC, U.S.A.
53. Dr. Subir Sinha, Department of Development Studies, SOAS, London,
U.K.
54. Nandini Sundar, Professor, Department of Sociology, Delhi School
of Economics
University of Delhi, India
55. Mohammad Taqi ,MD, Asst. Prof. of Medicine, University of Florida,
Gainesville, & President, American Pakistani Physicians for Justice
and Democracy (APPJD), U.S.A.
56. John Trumpbour, Research Director, Labor & Worklife Program,
Harvard Law School, U.S.A.
57. Dr. Rashmi Varma, Department of English, University of Warwick,
Coventry,
U.K.
58. Rafia Zakaria J.D, Indiana University, Department of Political
Science, U.S.A.
59. Howard Zinn, Professor Emeritus, Boston University, U.S.A.
Electronic media muffled in Pakistan
The government empowered the Pakistan Electronic
Media Regulatory Authority on 4th of June 2007 to
take stern punitive actions against any broadcast
media for violation of its rules.
President Gen Pervez Musharraf has promulgated
the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory
Authority Amendment Ordinance 2007, which will
come into effect immediately. According to
details issued by Law and Justice Secretary
Mansoor Ahmed, the ordinance would be called the
PEMRA (Amendment) Ordinance 2007.
The president has tightened the regulation of the
media under the ordinance. He has made a raft of
amendments to the regulations governing the
electronic media, including private television
channels that the general has accused of
anti-government bias. The ordinance says
authorities can seal the premises of broadcasters
or suspend distributors breaking the law, and
raises possible fines for violations from 1
million rupees ($16,665) to 10 million rupees
($166,650).
The text of the PEMRA (Amendment) Ordinance 2007
Ordinance No. XXVI of 2007. An ordinance to
further amend the Pakistan Electronic Media
Regulatory Authority Ordinance, 2002.
WHEREAS it is expedient to further to amend the
Pakistan Media Regulatory Authority Ordinance,
2002 (XIII of 2002), for the purposes hereinafter
appearing;
AND WHEREAS the National Assembly is not in
session and circumstances exist which render it
necessary to take immediate action; NOW,
THEREFORE, in the exercise of the powers
conferred by clause (1) of Article 89 of the
Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan,
the President is pleased to make and promulgate
the following Ordinance:-
1. Short title, extent and commencement.- (1)
This Ordinance may be called the Pakistan
Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Amendment)
Ordinance, 2007. (2) It shall come into force at
once.
2. Amendment of section 2, Ordinance XIII of
2002:- In the Pakistan Electronic Media
Regulatory Authority Ordinance, 2002 (XIII of
2002), Hereunder referred to as the said
Ordinance, in section 2,-
(a) in clause (ha) for the letters “DTH” the letters and commas "DTH,
IPTV, Mobile TV" shall be substituted; and
(b) for clause (j) the following shall be substituted, namely:-
(j)- “Frequency” means the frequency of the
electromagnetic waves measured in Hertz and used
for transmission;".
3. Amendment of section 4, Ordinance XIII of
2002.- In the said Ordinance, in section 4,
sub-section (3) shall be omitted.
4. Amendment of section 20, Ordinance XIII of
2002.- In the said Ordinance, in section 20, in
clause (d), after the word “rules” the words "and
regulations" shall be inserted.
5. Amendment of section 23, Ordinance XIII of
2002. In the said Ordinance, in section 23, in
sub-section (2) in the proviso, for the word
“fare” the word “Fair” shall be substituted.
6. Amendment of Section 25, Ordinance XIII of
2002.- In the said Ordinance, in section 25, in
clause e(d), after the word “organization” the
words "including any foreign non-governmental
organization" shall be added.
7. Amendment of section 27, Ordinance XIII of
2002.- In the said Ordinance, in section 27,-
(a) for the word “therefore,” the word “therefor” shall be substituted; and
(b) after the word “operator” the words “or owner” shall be inserted.
8. Amendment of section 28, Ordinance XIII of
2002.- In the said Ordinance, in section 28, in
the marginal note, of the section for the word
“of” the word “by” shall be substituted.
9. Amendment of section 29, Ordinance XIII of
2002,- In the said Ordinance, in section 29,-
(a) in sub-section (5), the proviso, for the full
stop, at the end, a colon shall be substituted
and thereafter the following further proviso
shall be added, namely:-
"Provided further that he Authority or the
Chairman may seize a broadcast or distribution
service equipment or seal the premises, which is
operating illegally or in contravention of orders
passed under section 30."; and
(b) in sub-section (6), for the word “one” a word “ten” shall be substituted.
10. Amendment of section 30, Ordinance XIII of
2002.- In the said Ordinance, in section 30,-
(a) in sub section (1),-
(i) in clause (b), for the colon, at the end, a
full stop shall be substituted; and (ii) the
proviso shall be omitted.
(b) in sub-section (3) the comma and word “, suspended” shall be omitted; and
(c) after sub-section (3) following new sub-section shall be added, namely:-
"(4) License of a broadcast media may be
suspended on any of the grounds specified in
sub-section (1), by a duly constituted committee
comprising members of the Authority."
11. Insertion of section 39A, Ordinance XIII of
2002.- In the said Ordinance, after section 39,
the following new section shall be inserted,
namely:-
"39A. Power of the Authority to make regulations.
The Authority may by notification in the official
Gazette, make regulations, not inconsistent with
this Ordinance and the rules made thereunder, to
provide for all matters for which provisions is
necessary or expedient for carrying out the
purpose of this Ordinance."