NA committee slams Pemra over Vawda controversy
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ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting on Monday expressed concern over the performance of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra), describing the interpretation of its code of conduct a double standard.
The committee has directed the Pemra chairman to appear in person and explain the regulator’s mechanism, especially in the context of a recent controversy at a TV talk show, which was described by the committee chairman as the act of "boot on the table" by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leader and Federal Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda.
The committee chairman, Mian Javed Latif of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, claimed that the electronic media regulator’s attitude was different for different violators. According to him, Pemra remains lenient towards influential personalities, but imposes severe punishments on others who commit identical violation of its code of conduct.
Members of the committee pointed out that it had became a routine matter that some anchors of TV channels humiliate parliamentarians and other public figures in live talk shows due to improper checks and balances by Pemra.
The committee decided to call Pemra Chairman Saleem Baig to answer queries of the committee’s members.
The committee directed Pemra to provide complete information about imposing a ban and then lifting it on the TV anchor who hosted the programme in which Mr Vawda had brought a boot.
The committee also discussed the issue of construction of a road on the land of Radio Pakistan in Ali Pur, Islamabad. It directed that the Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC) may hold a board meeting to consider the request of more than 20,000 people on humanitarian grounds and report to the committee within 15 days of the meeting. The committee members asked the PBC to allow construction of road at reasonable terms.
The meeting was attended by Engr Usman Khan Tarakai, Aftab Jahangir, Nasir Khan Musa Zai, Khawaja Saad Rafique, Maiza Hameed, Syed Aminul Haque, Syma Nadeem and Naz Baloch.
Published in Dawn, January 21st, 2020
