KATHMANDU, MARCH 11
Nepal's media fraternity today urged the Press Council Nepal (PCN) to immediately withdraw its unilateral and unconstitutional decision against The Himalayan Times without providing any opportunity to the reputed and much loved daily to clarify the allegations levelled by globally controversial British climber Nirmal Purja and his United Kingdom-based company - Elite Exped.
Several media organisations condemned the PCN's move, stating that the unconstitutional action against a daily national newspaper was solely aimed at weakening independent media. They also warned the government-owned semi-judicial body against undermining media freedom through such threats and harassment.
Media Alliance Nepal, an umbrella organisation representing privately-owned national daily newspapers, satellite television stations and high-megahertz radio stations across the country, expressed strong disapproval of the PCN's action against THT, calling it 'highly condemnable'.
In a statement the Media Alliance Chairman Bhaskar Raj Karnikar said that as an institution with a constitutional obligation, the Press Council should listen to both sides with priority in accordance with a fair and transparent process, and should consider press freedom and impartiality only after understanding the truth from the concerned party before reaching any decision.
"The Himalayan Times has already submitted a clarification to the Press Council Nepal. We urge the Press Council to reconsider its decision and proceed to arbitrate with the concerned parties," he said, adding: "The Media Alliance would like to draw the attention of the Press Council to provide an environment for the press to fulfil its responsibilities confidently. At the same, it should be aware that such hasty and unilateral decisions should not undermine press freedom and democratic values."
Similarly, Nepal Media Society General Secretary Madan Lamsal described the PCN's action against THT as a threat to independent media and announced it will make a formal representation to the Press Council tomorrow. "We will take it up strongly as it concerns freedom of the press," he added.
Meanwhile, most of the members of the Press Council were taken by surprise by the PCN's unilateral decision which appears to have been made at the behest of the Council's Chairman, Bal Krishna Basnet.
Nirmala Sharma, president of the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) and a member of the PCN's media monitoring committee, expressed shock at the PCN's decision. "How can the PCN take such a crucial decision against a reputed media without consulting the FNJ and members of the media monitoring committee?" she questioned.
Ram Prasad Dahal, a PCN board member, also stated that he was unaware of the action. Shiva Lamsal, chairman of the Nepal Press Union, emphasised that the PCN cannot take such action against any independent media outlet for publishing news stories. "The PCN cannot terrorise the media in the name of monitoring, and it should immediately withdraw its unilateral decision against THT," he said.
THT's FNJ chapter also condemned the PCN's unilateral decision and called for its immediate withdrawal.
PCN officials claimed that the decision was taken in haste by its Chairman Basnet, who left the country immediately thereafter. When THT managed to reach out to him after great difficulty, he said he was in the US and that he would review the decision seriously.
He thereafter didn't take any more calls from THT or any other media outlets.
