Daily Times

In a rare laudable step in the history of the institution, Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has sent out a directive to satellite television broadcasters and radio stations barring them from given airtime and coverage to 72 proscribed organizations, which include the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and its latter day incarnations Jamat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and the ostensibly charity organization Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation (FIF). This directive is under the precepts of the National Action Plan (NAP) and indicates a new and thoroughly welcome turn in Pakistan’s year old fight against the scourge of home grown terrorism and militancy. The circular sent out to media organizations from PEMRA also bars broadcasting of “any programme which is likely to create hatred amongst the people or prejudicial to the maintenance of law and order or is likely to disturb public peace” under the threat of heavy fines or cancellation of licence. One can presume some criticism of this measure on the lines of ‘hampering the freedom of the press’, but such a critique would be misplaced. The fact remains that cable television broadcasters have repeatedly revealed themselves to be devoid of journalistic ethics or any degree of responsible self-regulation and they unrepentantly dive lower and lower into the pit of sensationalism in a bid for higher ratings without considering the implications of what is being put on air. As a consequence, we see that members of such militant organisations are readily called on air for interviews or analysis, which gives them toxic access to the public. In the aftermath of the recent earthquake, we have seen the FIF readily exploiting the ineffectiveness of Pakistan’s disaster management authorities and are running advertisements asking for donations to fund their ‘relief campaigns’. While such unrestrained public access was being afforded to militant organisations, there could be no possibility of a victory in the fight against home grown terrorism. It is hoped that with this measure from PEMRA, JuD and its affiliate organisations will be denied the oxygen of publicity on which they so heavily rely.

This muzzling of an irresponsible media by PEMRA is long overdue but it is also understandable why it took so long. Farcically, the LeT and its reincarnations have thrived despite being banned and put on watch lists simply because (until now, seemingly) they have had tacit support from the state’s security agencies, who have protected and nurtured them for use in their oft-disastrous proxy wars. When some organisations have that kind of support, there is very little a regulatory body like PEMRA can do. But now the tide can be seen to be turning and it can be surmised that the security establishment has the intent to fight militant organisations all over Pakistan along with those it is carrying out an operation against in FATA. This significant change of direction bodes well for the drive to eliminate terrorism from Pakistan. *