The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA)’s Council of Complaints Saturday recommended Rs 5 Lakhs (Pakistan currency) fine each on as many as 13 television channels for running a report on wedding of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan without evidence.

The council has also recommended that these channels would air apology and also recommended cancellation of the license of a channel, which would fail to pay fine and run apology on airing the baseless news on July 12, 2016.

The forum that met at PEMRA headquarters with its Chairperson Shamim Humayun in the chair also recommended penalty to several other channels for violation of the code of conduct.

PTI’s Central Media Cell’s Iftikhar Durrani had filed a complaint against the television channels for airing the report on Imran’s wedding. However, the other day, he wanted the council to only hear the complaint against Dunya News, sparing all other channels.

However, the council contended that it would be against the principle of justice to spare some and punish others and insisted punishment was necessary to maintain standards of journalism. TV channels, which have been fined, include Dunya News, Geo News, Geo Tez, 92 News, Channel 24 and Sach TV.

The council recommended that all these channels should apologise on running a report without evidence besides payment of fine, failing which, their licence might be cancelled.

The forum also heard a complaint filed by Maryam Nawaz against Channel 24 for showing a photograph during talk show hosted by Mubasher Lucman, who said that while prime minister was abroad for treatment, his daughter Maryam was running the affairs of the government. He said she was chairing a meeting of the federal secretaries.

However, the photograph turned out to be two years old when Maryam was chairperson of Prime Minister’s Youth Loan Programme. No representative from the TV channel appeared before the council despite notice. And the reply by the channel was not found satisfactory. The council recommended Rs 5 lakhs fine on the channel and asked for running apology on this count, failing which, its license should be cancelled.

The complaint filed by Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly PPP’s Khursheed Shah against Samaa TV for running a ‘baseless’ news about him on June 27, was also heard by the council. The representative of Samaa channel insisted that they stood by their viewpoint and that all contracts were awarded on the direction of Shah and on this count, pictures were also presented before the forum in which Shah and the owner of the Umar Jan & Co were seen together.

After hearing both sides, the council decided to wait for a final report from the Sindh chief secretary on this matter, as the Sindh government had called for postponement of the hearing till the final report was furnished.

The council decided a matter, involving Senator Hafiz Hamdullah of JUI-Fazl and Marvi Sarmad in a talk show, hosted by Nadia Mirza at NewsOne channel, marred by exchange of harsh and insulting words between the two guests. On adopting non-professional way and airing threats, the channel was fined Rupees two Lakhs and asked to run apology. If the channel failed to pay fine or run the apology, the council recommended cancellation of its licence.

The forum also recommended to the authority that directions should be given to TV channels to desist from inviting guests, having extremist views.

  Channel 24, Dunya News, Geo News, Geo Tez, Media, pakistan