ISLAMABAD: Incensed at the TV channels that on Tuesday ran hour-long reports of a possible third marriage of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan, the party lodged a complaint with the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) chairman, seeking action against those news channels.

The complaint was handed over to Pemra chairman Absar Alam by Iftikhar Durrani, head of the PTI’s central media department.

Mr Durrani has asked Pemra ‘‘to move under the law against those who ruptured decency and ethics for their interests and sought to damage my chairman’s repute and name through their so-called news operations”.

The PTI also criticised Pemra, saying: “Pemra remained a silent spectator to the hostility being carried out against chairman PTI and ignored its obligations under the law which certainly is an offence and cannot be overlooked”.

The PTI said that a smear media campaign had been launched against Mr Khan.

“Under Articles 3, 4 and 18 of Electronic Media Code of Conduct 2015 and rules 1 and 3 of Pemra Rules 2009, it was the critical obligation of your authority to keep not only the knowledge of the campaign but to take cognisance of it and set the law into motion,” the complainant told the Pemra chairman.

Though several TV channels aired the marriage story, the PTI has only named one Lahore-based news channel, addressing others as ‘some other leading TV channels’.

“These TV channels under a well-thought out design targeted chairman PTI at a time when he was abroad and spending time with his children and accused him of marrying for the third time,” the complaint said.

Meanwhile, Pemra has acknowledged to have received the PTI’s complaint and referred it to the Council of Complaints (COC) for hearing and action. The COC is scheduled to meet in Islamabad on Friday.

Published in Dawn, July 14th, 2016