VOA takes over PBC?

ISLAMABAD – As of this month, the Pakistani government has quietly allowed the United States to expand its Afghanistan-based media propaganda network to include Pakistan, in a clandestinely signed deal that is bound to generate more anger when the Pakistani government that is yet to fully recover from accusations of a sellout to intrusive American aid conditions.
In 2006, the United States set up a transmitter in Afghanistan for the radio broadcast of US political and military propaganda in that occupied country. Four years later, now this propaganda moves to Pakistan.
The irony is that Pakistan, which disputes unverified US claims that terrorist camps exist deep inside Pakistan — in Quetta and Muridke — will now be allowing a US government financed propaganda arm to say as much using transmitters owned by the Government of Pakistan and directed at Pakistani citizens.
The Voice of America (VOA), which is a US government agency, and the Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation reached an agreement earlier this month where Pakistan had agreed to expand the Afghanistan-based US propaganda network - the Americans call this ‘public diplomacy’ - to Pakistan. Under the deal, VOA will use PBC equipment and transmitters in Peshawar, Islamabad and Lahore to distribute VOA material in Pashto and Urdu on medium and FM waves.
A little noticed VOA press release, issued in Washington 14 days ago by no less than VOA director Mr. Danforth W. Austin, quotes him as announcing, “We’re delighted Pakistan’s cabinet has ratified our agreement with PBC,” adding, “This arrangement will allow millions of people in all parts of Pakistan to listen to the VOA’s popular news and information programmes.”
Interestingly, the Pakistani cabinet did not publicise the agreement. An internet search of the stories filed for this month by the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan does not return any stories on the VOA-PBC agreement, or on Pakistani cabinet’s ratification. The VOA press release is reproduced online by several American and other news websites and is dated October 13. However, government sources in Islamabad indicate the agreement was signed sometime in September and referred to Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani for approval.