The knee-jerk reactions from PEMRA and an apparent disregard from the government in this regard in the face of the reckless endangerment of the lives of journalists, bloggers, activists and rights defenders has been slammed by Amnesty International. The organisation, in an open letter to Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar, has criticised Pakistan’s dealing of the affairs and called for an urgent action to protect the lives of journalists, bloggers and activists.
The letter specifically pointed out the recent fiasco of Amir Liaquat’s show ‘Aisay nahi chalay ga’ on Bol News, where he blatantly ran a smear campaign against journalists, activists and other personalities amid government’s utter disregard. The rights body urged Pakistani authorities to take “immediate steps to ensure the adequate protection of human rights defenders, including by providing security when they are facing risks because of their peaceful human rights work, in close consultation and according to their wishes.”
Liaquat’s show is just one of examples. The journalists and other human rights activists have faced harassment and death threats over the years, and Pakistan ranks fourth among the deadliest countries for journalists.
While PEMRA is vested the authority to regulate the print and electronic media keeping the freedom of expression in view, the politicisation and the pick and choose approach of PEMRA has severely tainted its reputation. Resultantly, many scenarios have been witnessed where the PEMRA’s orders have been violated openly. Amir Liaquat’s show is one of the recent examples where the channel continued to broadcast the show even after the PEMRA had served a show-cause notice and suspended the programme. The ban was immediately lifted by the Sindh High Court on the technical ground which reveals the glaring loopholes in the policies of PEMRA and an inability to implement them.
Moreover, the recent decision of the suspension of the ARY UK license following a court ruling that imposed hefty penalties and forced the channel to air apology for the content it broadcasted has not only shamed the particular media outlet but also further added to the uselessness of PEMRA which could do nothing about the case and the accused Mir Shakeel-ur-Rehman had to resort to the courts of a foreign land for justice.
Being a democratic country, Pakistan should be boasting a free press with no curbs on the freedom of speech. Since it’s not even close a full-fledged democracy, the role of media is vital for propagating it. But in scenarios where the much-heralded fourth pillar of democracy errs, it is going against the democratic values and should be dealt with accordingly. There is a need of better self-regulation to set an example for others to follow rather than following the run of mill business.
For PEMRA to stay relevant, it needs to function apolitically and impartially to enforce best journalism practices. The appointments and the functioning of the institution should be independent of any influence. Maybe the British media watchdog Ofcom could serve as an example where PEMRA should strive to move towards. *