Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) on Monday issued a show cause notice to Geo News for airing an unverified report regarding Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US Jalil Abbas Jilani.

The channel reported that the Pakistani ambassador had released his photograph with Michelle Obama on the social media for which he was “reprimanded by the White House”.

The news further claimed that the US administration had expressed their concern over the practice and asked the ambassador to remove the photograph, which was done.

After the news was aired, Jalil Abbas Jilani wrote a letter to the PEMRA chairman, stating that the irresponsibility shown by Geo News provided India with an opportunity to start propaganda against Pakistan.

The letter further said that neither he had uploaded the picture on the social media, nor the US administration reacted in such a way.

Saying that the country was defamed globally by that irresponsible act of the private TV channel, he requested the PEMRA to take action against it under the rules and regulations.

If the authority does not receive a satisfactory reply to the show cause notice, it can cancel the licence of the private TV channel or impose a fine to the tune of Rs 1 million.

Moreover, the said private TV channel can apologise over the telecast of this news item.