JournalismPakistan.com | Published April 26, 2014
Join our WhatsApp channel
ISLAMABAD: A senior journalist has reacted angrily to text messages he continues to receive from SMSall, a mobile social network representing Geo TV.
Faiz Paracha (pictured), a Senior Economic Correspondent at Samaa TV told JournalismPakistan.com Saturday he was getting five to six messages daily on his cell phone relating to Hamid Mir and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Paracha threatened SMSall that he will file a complaint with the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), saying he had not subscribed to these messages.
One of the messages he received from number 4360 reads: "#Hamid Mir praises army and security forces http://dai.ly/x1r1ziz."
"I have been receiving Geo TV SMS which I have not subscribed to. As for your privacy policy is concerned, I should not have been receiving such messages. I have not subscribed to you neither to Geo TV," he wrote back to SMSall.
"I do not want to read and waste my time in what Hamid Mir has to say or Geo TV has to say about their point of view regarding ISI and Army," wrote Paracha. "Why I have been bothered," he asked SMsall.
SMSall claims to be Pakistan's first and the largest growing mobile social network that has sent over 6 billion SMS through their service.
Hamid Mir of Geo TV was shot six times last week in Karachi by gunmen still to be identified. In the immediate aftermath of the incident, Geo aired claims by Mir's brother that the ISI was behind the attack.
This upset the military which denied the allegations as baseless and condemned the attack. The defense ministry is seeking cancellation of Geo's license having submitted a complaint with Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA).
April 11, 2025: Sindhi journalist AD Shar was brutally murdered in Khairpur, Sindh. His body was found dumped on Handiyari Link Road. PFUJ has declared a three-day mourning period and demanded justice.
April 10, 2025: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir government has filed a case against The Daily Jammu & Kashmir and its staff for alleged fake news, drawing condemnation from PFUJ and IFJ, who demand immediate withdrawal of the FIR and an end to media repression in Pakistan.
April 08, 2025: Journalist Arzoo Kazmi alleges that Pakistan's state agencies, including the FIA, have blocked her CNIC, passport, and bank account while threatening her. She calls it a direct attack on journalism.
April 07, 2025: The Islamabad High Court has directed IG Islamabad to produce journalist Ahmad Noorani’s missing brothers, as the Ministry of Defence denies custody. SIM activity was traced in Bahawalpur, and investigations into their suspected abduction continue.
April 07, 2025: Journalist and Raftar founder Farhan Mallick has been granted bail by a Karachi court in a case concerning anti-state content aired on his YouTube channel. He still faces separate charges related to an alleged illegal call center and data theft.
April 03, 2025: Veteran journalist Ghulam Abbas Shah has joined Discover Pakistan Television as the Head of Programming. With 25 years of experience in leading news organizations, he looks forward to contributing to quality storytelling and content.
April 02, 2025: The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has strongly condemned the visit of a group of Pakistani journalists to Israel, calling it a violation of journalistic ethics and a betrayal of press freedom and human rights. PFUJ demands a transparent investigation into the matter.
March 30, 2025: Dawn criticizes Pakistan’s plan to use TV dramas against extremism, highlighting financial and digital challenges. Can media alone solve deep-rooted issues?
April 03, 2025 The International Press Institute (IPI) and International Media Support (IMS) invite nominations for the 2025 World Press Freedom Hero and Free Media Pioneer Awards. Recognizing courageous journalists and innovative media, the awards will be presented at IPI’s 75th-anniversary World Congress in Vienna. Submit your nominations by April 30, 2025.
April 01, 2025 Photojournalist Suresh Rajak was burned alive while covering a violent protest in Kathmandu. The IFJ and its affiliates condemn the attack and call for an urgent investigation to hold the perpetrators accountable.
April 01, 2025 Assam Police arrested digital journalist Dilwar Hussain Mozumder for covering a protest against alleged corruption at Assam Co-Operative Bank. Media organizations have condemned the arrest, calling it an attack on press freedom.
March 29, 2025 A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to dismantle Voice of America (VOA), ruling that the move likely violated legal procedures. The decision protects over 1,200 journalists and media staff.
March 28, 2025 Turkey deports BBC journalist Mark Lowen over 'public order' threat and fines opposition TV channels covering Istanbul Mayor's arrest. Critics condemn crackdown on press freedom amid rising political tensions.