ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan has said that a suspect in the custody of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is not allowed to give an interview.

After attending a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting on Wednesday, she said the interview given by Pakistan Peoples Party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari to a private TV channel was pulled off air because it violated laws.

Dr Awan said interviews could not be recorded on the premises of the Parliament House without prior permission of the National Assembly speaker.

“The recording of the interview was a violation of security and sanctity of parliament. It also violated Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) rules as no one is allowed to give an interview during custody,” she added.

The telecast of Mr Zardari’s interview to Geo News was stopped on July 1.

A suspect in NAB custody is not allowed to give interviews

Earlier, during the meeting of the Senate committee presided over by Faisal Javed of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, PPP’s Rehman Malik claimed that the stopping of Mr Zardari’s interview created a hue and cry across the globe.

Dr Awan told the committee that she was aware of the reason for stopping the interview, but did not share it.

Ghous Mohammad Khan Niazi of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz asked her to share the reason.

Dr Awan said that she could share the reason only if the committee chairman allowed her, but Faisal Javed remained silent.

After the meeting, the PM’s special assistant told media persons that NAB rules did not allow a suspect to give an interview during remand.

“Moreover, no recording can be done without the NA speaker’s permission. A place has been designated outside the parliament building where media persons can talk to politicians and record their statements,” she explained.

When asked how interviews of death-row prisoner Saulat Mirza and Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan spokesperson Ehsanullah Ehsan were telecast, Dr Awan said that those interviews were not recorded in the Parliament House and they were not in the custody of NAB.

During the committee’s meeting, Rehman Malik raised a point about character assassination of PPP leaders on electronic media. The matter was raised in the Senate session on May 28 and referred to the committee for consideration.

Mr Malik said the electronic media had started character assassination of political personalities and suggested that a law be passed to check fake news.

“I don’t want to ban electronic media but ethics should not be violated. As private bills are hardly passed so I suggest that the Ministry of Information should draft a law and I am ready to give my

recommendation. The input should also be taken from the journalist community,” he said.

Dr Awan said that it was correct that misleading and out of context news had been played on media due to which politicians suffered. “We need to address the issue, but the right to freedom of speech should also remain intact,” she said.

Published in Dawn, July 4th, 2019