Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) issued notice to ARY News channel over controversial comments on a statement by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, on Friday.

The regulator took exception to remarks made by Shahid Latif, a guest on an ARY News programme, that termed a recent statement by the prime minister as blasphemous.

This is a very dangerous trend. The hosts of the programme did not intervene at that time nor stopped him from passing such comments, which is a violation of PEMRA rules, the authority said in a press release.

The press release added: This has been conveyed to the TV channel that airing any offensive, provocative or derogatory remarks falls in clear violation of clause 20 (f) of PEMRA Act 2007, rule 15(1) of 2009 and various sections and clauses of the PEMRA Code of Conduct 2015.

The regulator directed ARY News to submit its reply by March 31 and explain why action should not be taken against it for airing “hate speech”.

The action against the channel could include banning of ‘The Reporters’, cancellation of ARY’s operating license and a fine of Rs1 million. PEMRA added.

The electronic media regulator also issued show cause notices to nine TV channels Ab Tak TV, Waqt TV, Channel 5, Sach TV, 7 News, Aaj TV, Roze TV, News One and Capital TV for airing “fake news” on Wednesday (March 22)that a plane had crashed in Kallar Syedan, near Rawalpindi. The channels have been directed to submit a reply by March 31.

PEMRA issued a show cause notice to Dawn News for not complying with its orders of suspending Zara Hat Kay for three days.

The charge against the channel was that the presenters of Zara Hut Kay discussed a reference against Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui of the Islamabad High Court (IHC), which is pending before the Supreme Judicial Council, in an episode aired on March 9.

On the other hand, an official of Dawn News said the channel had already obtained a stay order from the Sindh High Court against the show cause notice.