ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) served a show-cause notice on a news channel after commentator guests and anchor at one of its chat show programmes hurled suggestive innuendos at the prime minister and a member of his cabinet.
While handing performance awards to his top-performing ministers on Thursday, Prime Minister Imran Khan singled out for particular praise Murad Saeed whose Ministry of Communications sat atop the list of top 10 best performing government divisions.
During a commentary session later that day, analysts at G for Gharidah, flagship programme of otherwise lesser-known News One channel, questioned the government’s decision to award Saeed the honour, making several disparaging and suggestive remarks about the minister and insinuating other factors behind the award than his ministry’s performance while anchor Gharida Farooqi apparently made no real effort to stop them from doing so.
مرادسعید کی جس کارکردگی پر پہلانمبر ملا ہے وہ ریحام کی کتاب میں ہے؛ محسن بیگ
مرادسعید نےکارکردگی میں سب کو پیچھےچھوڑدیا مزید نہ پوچھیں پیمرا موجود ہے؛طارق محمود
مرادسعید کی کارکردگی کےالزامات سب کےسامنےموجود ہیں؛افتخاراحمد
میں مرادسعید کی کارکردگی بارے اتفاق کرتاہوں؛ جنرل امجد pic.twitter.com/TzGv09EZeN— Gharidah Farooqi (@GFarooqi) February 11, 2022
PEMRA observed that the “unprofessional/demeaning remarks” were aired without any editorial control or time-delay mechanism in place.
Airing such remarks “raises serious concerns on the performance of [the] channel’s editorial policy and gatekeeping tools being adopted/practiced”, it added.
The regulator said the remarks were in “sheer violation” of Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority Ordinance, 2002, as (Amendment) Act, 2007, several clauses of the Electronic Media (Programmes and Advertisement) Code of Conduct, 2015, and the orders of the Supreme Court in a 2018 case.
It further directed the management to respond within four days as to why legal action — including a fine, suspension and revocation of licence along with other measures — should not be initiated against the channel.
The CEO or an authorised representative was directed to appear before the body at its headquarters in Islamabad on February 15 with a written response.
“In case of non-compliance, ex-parte legal action shall be taken against the licensee in accordance with relevant provisions of PEMRA Laws,” the notice warned.
Farooqi landed in hot water in 2017 when police recovered from her residence in Lahore a young girl purportedly employed as a housemaid, and who her father said was being held captive against her and her family’s will.
