Ban on broadcasting speeches of accused, debate on 'double standard' of PEMRA
The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has directed all licensed TV channels in the country not to broadcast the speeches of the accused, after which a new debate has erupted in the country in the context of broadcasting Nawaz Sharif's speeches.
In the notice sent to these private TV channels, PEMRA cited its own order issued in 2019 regarding former Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, which said that any advertisement or The fugitive's interview cannot be aired.
However, in the past, PEMRA has allowed the broadcast of interviews of fugitives and notorious criminals.
It may be recalled that when former military president Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan Awami Tehreek chief Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri and current Prime Minister Imran Khan were banned from showing speeches by various courts, PEMRA officials Freedom of expression could not be curtailed as it was unconstitutional to do so.
Not only this, when the present Prime Minister Imran Khan took the Panama case to the Supreme Court and continued to be a part of the court proceedings there, even then the Islamabad Anti-Terrorism Court declared him not to appear in court in the PTV attack case. But private TV channels used to cover Imran Khan's speeches and movements.
It may be recalled that earlier in 2015, PEMRA had banned the broadcast of speeches of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain on the orders of the Lahore High Court and this ban is still in force.
Former ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz spokesperson Maryam Aurangzeb said her party would challenge PEMRA's decision in the high courts.
Does PEMRA have double standards?
Journalist and anchor person Hamid Mir says that the ban on broadcasting the speeches of former Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif was imposed not by the military establishment but by the present government.
He said that before the all-party conference of the opposition parties was held last month, the statement of Federal Minister for Information Shibli Faraz had come to light that since the former Prime Minister has been declared a fugitive by various courts, the TV channel His speech will be broadcast and action will be taken against him.
However, the decision was changed overnight and the media reported that Prime Minister Imran Khan had given permission to broadcast the former prime minister's speech.
Regarding the role of the military establishment in this decision, Hamid Mir said, "The generals he mentioned in his speeches are now retired. He must have said that the 2018 elections were rigged, but this He also did not mention any general in me.
Hamid Mir said that PEMRA has issued a notice to private TV channels and denied its own order which was given in 2019 at the request of retired citizen Colonel Inam-ur-Rehman.
At the time, the petitioner had requested that former military presidents Pervez Musharraf and Tahir-ul-Qadri be publicized in various cases and therefore their speeches should be banned. PEMRA had said in the petition that restricting freedom of expression was a violation of fundamental human rights enshrined in the Constitution.
He said that not the private TV channels but the leaders of PML-N should go against this decision of PEMRA.
Is PEMRA order illegal?
Law expert Azhar Siddique says that the decision to ban the broadcast of speeches of former Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif has been taken by PEMRA in the light of the order issued in 2019 in which he had banned the broadcast of speeches of former Finance Minister Ishaq Dar Was banned. Ishaq Dar was also declared a fugitive by the Islamabad Accountability Court.
Azhar Siddique says that if the former prime minister returns home and appears in the courts, there will be no restriction on broadcasting his speeches whatever he wants.
The notice issued by PEMRA banning private TV channels from broadcasting the speeches of the former prime minister cites the decision of the Supreme Court in the case of journalist Arshad Sharif. In this case, the court had said that the cases pending in the courts could not be discussed on talk shows.
It may be recalled that a petition has also been filed in the Islamabad High Court against not showing the speeches of former Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif on TV channels, stating that since the courts have declared the former Prime Minister a fugitive in various cases. Therefore, their speeches should be stopped from being broadcast.
The petition has not yet been heard by the Registrar's Office of the Islamabad High Court.
0 Comments