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Large crowds greet Chaudhary convoy

Nirupama Subramanian

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Government said it had only tightened existing rules on live coverage but two private television channels went off air on Saturday as the latest instalment suspended Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhary's roadshow set off from the capital, in defiance of an order against processions and large gatherings.

Thousands of lawyers and Opposition activists joined a motorcade led by Mr. Chaudhary to the North-West Frontier Province town of Abbotabad, where he was to address a meeting of lawyers. In what has become routine wherever Mr. Chaudhary has gone since his March 9 ouster, large crowds gathered at towns en route to welcome him, showering flower petals on his vehicle.

Reporters accompanying Mr. Chaudhary on the procession said "massive crowds" raising anti-Government slogans participated in the motorcade, which set off a little after 8 a.m. from his home in the capital, and reached its destination 100 km away at about 9 p.m.

The only missing element this time was what President Pervez Musharraf criticised in a recent interview as "ball-by-ball coverage" of the procession. Two private television channels, Aaj and ARY, were taken off the cable network by operators in many parts of the capital and its suburbs. Geo TV was on air but its coverage was restricted to phone-ins from its reporter during the hourly news bulletins.

A senior Aaj reporter said the TV station did not receive any notice of suspension from the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority.

The new restrictions on media coverage of the ongoing anti-Government protests have followed an announcement by Information and Broadcasting Minister Mohammed Ali Durrani that the Government would strictly enforce existing rules for regulating television transmissions that make it mandatory for TV stations to apply to PEMRA for permission before each live programme. The rule applies to live talk shows too.

The Government has said it was tightening the existing laws steps to prevent the "defamation" of the Pakistan armed forces and other state institutions.

At a meeting on Friday presided over by Gen. Musharraf to take stock of the "internal situation" at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, the Pakistan Army's corps commanders and principal staff officers said they would not permit "attempts by a small minority to obstruct the aspirations of the vast majority" to derail the nation "from its path of progress and prosperity".

Affirming support for Gen. Musharraf, the corps commanders also took "serious note" of the "malicious campaign" against state institutions.

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