ISLAMABAD: Human rights activist Asma Jahangir has asked the Supreme Court to order the government to disclose the number of radio channels run by the army’s media wing — Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) — as well as their sources of income.

At the last hearing on June 15, Ms Jahangir had asked the apex court to ensure that ISPR is monitored by the relevant regulatory authorities.

Headed by Justice Ejaz Afzal, the Supreme Court bench will, on Wednesday, resume hearing petitions filed by anchorperson Hamid Mir, incumbent Pemra chairman Absar Alam and others seeking a court order to abolish the information ministry’s secret funds. At the last hearing, the court had allowed Ms Jahangir to move a miscellaneous application in this regard.

The fresh application moved by her asked the court to order the federal government, as well as the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra), to disclose the number of FM radio stations run by ISPR. The application also sought the disclosure of whether these radio stations were being regulated, and also asked the government to reveal the amount of resources available to these facilities and the money spent by ISPR, including expenses on the production of films and dramas.

Human rights activist seeks details of ISPR expenditure on media campaigns, films and dramas

The government should also inform the court, the petition asked, whether any professional journalists have ever been engaged by ISPR in any capacity.

The petition regretted about the alleged absence of any check on the accounts from the public resources allegedly allocated to the media cell of ISPR and how the same was being used to propagate information that should be objective and credible.

The petition alleged that ISPR maintains a large social media cell, which uses its influence to defame individuals. Referring to Article 19-A of the Constitution that ensures the right to information, Ms Jahangir contended that there was no law which prohibited the disclosure of the resources spent on media or social media-related activities, which were being carried out by ISPR.

“When the Supreme Court is examining all aspects of transparency in the area of imparting information, the conduct of media handlers and the use of public funds for propaganda and allocation of resources regarding information media and social media that has been allocated to ISPR may also be made public and its expenditure should be transparent so that it [is] regulated in the same manner as other mainstream media,” the application highlighted.

Pakistan, the petition pleaded, had three power centres that control the media and other information that was communicated to the public at large: government-controlled media; private media; and, ISPR which is immune from all regulation.

The FM radio networks using the frequency FM89.04 and FM96, the application alleged, had an outreach of more than 55 cities and were reportedly under the direct control of ISPR, but Pemra had failed to regulate these radio stations.

It was also reported that ISPR approached Pemra on June 18, 2010, with a request to allocate 96 radio networks, which they had been operating without going through the legal procedure, the petition alleged, recalling a Sept 27, 2007 meeting, in which Pemra had refused to grant ISPR permission to run non-commercial FM radio licences, but the same was being carried out.

The petition also alleged that Pemra has been acting in a discriminatory manner by refusing to regulate the media outlets and use of social media operated by ISPR. A selective imposition of regulation amounted to discrimination against other media outlets and was contrary to Article 25 of the Constitution, the petition argued.

Published in Dawn, July 20th, 2016