ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) on Thursday banned the broadcast of speeches, interviews and public addresses by absconders and proclaimed offenders.
The development comes a few hours after former prime minister Nawaz Sharif slammed the government in his second address to the PML-N’s central working committee meeting which was aired on numerous news channels in Pakistan.
“A self-explanatory complaint received from Mr. Muhammad Azhar Siddique against the several news channels in particular who aired the interview/speech/ public addresses of an absconder or a proclaimed offender,” read PEMRA’s notice.
PEMRA said that it was found upon investigating the complaint that news channels were violating the earlier directive of the Authority which had been issued on May 27, 2019 on proclaimed offenders.
The notification reminded news channels that they were bound to comply with PEMRA laws as well as parameters laid down in PLD 2019 Supreme Coun 1 and PLD 2016 Karachi 238. A copy of the provisions of the ordinance was attached with the notification:
“Clause 4(10) of the Code of Conduct is very important because by discussing and reviewing the contents of a programme prior to the time it is aired or recorded, the licensee can ensure that the contents of such programme conform to the Code of Conduct. Therefore, licensees can make certain that programmes on sub judice matters are aired in an informative manner and are handled objectively [Clause 4(3)absconders.”
