CEO’s of TV channels to appear before Pemra

CEO’s of five TV channels would appear at Pemra head quarters tomorrow, as the PEMRA had asked them to show cause in writing as well as directed their respective CEOs to appear for personal hearing on October 26 (Friday) at PEMRA Headquarters at 12 pm. They will be required to explain as to why an appropriate action may not be initiated against them. On Saturday, PEMRA had served show-cause notices to TV channels that included Bol News, Neo TV, Channel 24, Samaa TV, 92 News, ARY News and Geo News for airing former PML-N senator Nihal Hashmi’s speech on 19th October criticizing the armed forces. It said: “Whereas past conduct of Nehal Hashmi for giving controversial statements against the state institutions is well-known and he had been reprimanded by the Supreme Court for his conduct as well.evertheless, extending airtime to him is tantamount to willful breach of the media ethics as well as Perma laws.”
The authority contended that this act is in sheer violation of provisions of Section 20(b), (c), (d), (f) of Pemra Ordinance, 2002 as amended by Pemra (Amendment) Act, 2007 read with Rules 15(1) of Pemra rules, 2009 and laws 2(a), 3(I) and other relevant rules of the Electronic Media (Programmes and Advertisements) Code of Conduct, 2015. PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah said that Nehal Hashmi was no more a party member, so the party could not take disciplinary action against him. Former PMLN Senator Nehal Hashmi, who previously faced imprisonment for his controversial remarks against the judiciary, once again criticized the Armed Forces while defending the role of politicians in the development of the country. He taunted that “the Armed Forces could not occupy a single inch of land and that the weapons including atomic bomb were merely showpieces.” This was an effort to denigrate military in public eye, which is punishable in law.
Few private TV channels kept running the video throughout the day which drew strong criticism from the social media users and Pakistani masses. Soon after television channels had broadcast news reports about the incident, the PMLN launched a damage control exercise and dissociated from what the former senator had said about the military. But it is a sneaky practice of attacking the institutions of the state by PMLN leadership first and then disowning it, which cannot work every time. Masses are well aware and cannot be misled by such ruses and subterfuges. Nehal Hashmi did this for the second time; hence a strict action should be taken against him to avoid a recurrence by anyone in future. In the past, Nehal Hashmi and Mashahdullah residents of Karachi (Sindh) were elected as senators from Punjab, thus depriving the local politicians of their right to become senators. There is a perception that these two leaders were rewarded for badmouthing the institutions.
It is hoped that Pemra would move the court to indict Nehal Hashmir, and the court would take strict action for violating the constitutional provisions and for bringing the institutions into disrepute.