On May 18 New York Times published a controversial feature on Axact which resulted in negative propaganda against BOL TV – owned by the same group – when the channel was about to hit the market. Meanwhile, competitors and other big media houses of Pakistan started a 24/7 media trial of BOL network and its management on various platforms. Even the Government of Pakistan was trying to influence the inquiry against BOL TV.
This resulted in the blockage of BOL News transmission, cancellation of its news security clearance and seizure of the salary accounts, which blocked the salaries of thousands of employees. We, the workers of BOL network, believe that this is a conspiracy against the network and that it’s the major reason why we haven’t got paid for the last five months.
Many journalists have been abandoned by their landlords due to the non-payment of fare. Others have miserably failed to pay their utility bills hence have seen their telephone lines, electricity and gas meters being cut off. Journalists and co-workers, including the support and lower staff, haven’t been able to pay the school fees of their children and hence they have been struck off from the educational institutions.
Many journalists of BOL Network have sold their jewelry and other expensive household goods to meet the basic necessities. But now they are left with nothing but hope.
Few of our colleagues are going through severe financial affliction to get their old and ill family members medically treated. Some have to get their siblings/children married. It’s even more heart-wrenching to know that many colleagues from the lower and support staff aren’t even able to provide bread and butter to their families. The efforts to crush BOL TV will render more than 2,000 employees, including journalists and workers across the country, jobless. Needless to say it would also result in curbing press freedom.
Since the past few months, all the employees of BOL Network along with Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists, all Provincial Unions of Journalists, National Press Club, Islamabad, other press clubs and members of electronic and print media, along with the civil society, have been protesting against the silencing of BOL Network across the country. But our voices haven’t been heard yet.
The renowned businessman Aqeel Kareem Dedhi had announced to fund BOL TV to clear all the outstanding dues of the staff, but mysteriously he was pushed back. Similarly, when ARY took over the management of BOL TV, unfair charges against Salman Iqbal, the CEO, were put forward. This again created hurdles before BOL TV’s launch. It also forestalled the clearance of BOL staff’s dues.
Conspiracies by PEMRA (Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority) and the Government of Pakistan are shameful. We demand an immediate end to the plotting and planning against BOL and removal of artificially created obstacles. We want the withdrawal of unlawful, illegal, unethical cancellation of BOL News’ security clearance. The authorities should clear BOL administration for the payment of thousands of journalists immediately.
The government’s efforts to close BOL will prove to be a major blow for the entire media industry of Pakistan. It will result in the massive exploitation of workers, who already are getting lower salaries than the market rates.
Since the assault on BOL began, media owners, who were forced to revise salaries upwards, have stopped issuing increment letters to their staff members. In some cases, the revised salaries have already been cut back. This is a dangerous trend and the government must intervene on behalf of thousands of media workers.
Media workers are being compelled to believe that Declan Walsh’s feature is more than a set up to stop BOL TV. This is because it has not only introduced good packages for the employees, but has also introduced other facilities. These include paying employees on time, giving them shares in the company, offering health facilities for employees and their families, 8-hour jobs, life insurance, good pay scale, timely increments with bonuses and a lot more.
BOL Network made thousands of working journalists believe that the financial harassment they had been facing since the independence of Pakistan was finally shifting in their favor. Many felt that the time had come where they would get paid according to their hard work. Declan Walsh's feature, meanwhile, benefited the corporate class of the media industry, and left all hopes of aspiring journalists and other media staff, shattered.
Now, the despair, spread and created by media groups’ owners, is making it evident that the slogan of "freedom of speech" is only for the corrupt corporate class. But we, the working class journalists, will keep fighting for our rights with support from the civil society. We will keep supporting those people who dared to stand up for the rights of the oppressed.