Daily Times

Not content with its crusade against corruption and attempts to regulate private school fees, Pakistan’s judiciary is now trying to protect the citizenry’s piety. On May 8, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) directed that every Pakistani news channel will be bound to telecast Azan — the Islamic call to prayer — five times a day. Justice Shaukat Siddiqui, presiding over this hearing declared that “For Muslims, Azan is the greatest breaking news”. The good judge seems worried about God-fearing Pakistanis not being able to find out about prayer time. It is an intriguing concern considering that there are thousands of mosques throughout the country, which perform this service, as well as numerous dedicated smartphone applications, and TV Channels that exclusively broadcast Islamic content. It is doubtful that not being to find out prayer timings has ever been an issue in this country. Furthermore, as members of the press we feel that it is our duty to inform the honourable Justice Siddiqui that the term ‘breaking news’ refers to newly received information about an unusual, unexpected or a rare event. This specific term needs careful application.

Last Saturday PEMRA issued a final warning to 45 television channels, saying they have to abide by the IHC’s order or their licenses will be revoked.

Not only is this whole exercise unnecessary, it is a waste of the IHC’s time, especially considering it already has 16,278 pending cases. Furthermore, not all sects and subsects of Islam practiced by Pakistanis pray or break their Ramazan fasts at the same time. By directing television channels to broadcast a uniform time, the state might end upgiving preferential treatment to certain sects and subsects, while isolating others. TV channels simply cannot air call for prayers for all the sects. The exclusion will only end up sharpening the sectarian divides. We hope that the IHC and PEMRA will review this decision. It can be said with certainty that Azan on TV is not the most pressing issue in a country where the justice system is broken, corruption and misrule prevail and one third of the population lacks a decent livelihood.  *

Published in Daily Times, May 21^st 2018.