ISLAMABAD: The sacked head of the current affairs (HCA) at state-run Pakistan Television (PTV) has approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC) for his reinstatement.

Last week, PTV fired two employees, the head of current affairs Chaudhry Mohammad Akram and producer Taimur Younus, for airing an “incorrect map of Pakistan” in which occupied Kashmir was shown a part of Indian territory.

The incident was taken up in the Senate on June 8 after Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani referred the matter to the Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting.

Sacked HCA’s counsel claimed that the PTV bigwig in order to secure their own skin made him a scapegoat.

The airing of incorrect map was not only condemned by the public at large and the opposition leaders but PTV’s management was also criticised by PTI’s ministers.

Subsequently, in a tweet the state broadcaster said: “Taking strict action on the recommendations of the inquiry committee designated to probe the airing of an incorrect image of a map of Pakistan on June 6 on PTV News, the PTV management has terminated two officials found responsible for the professional oversight.”

The incident, which had drawn a lot of ire on social media, had also caught the attention of Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry and Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari.

In a tweet, Chaudhry had urged Information Minister Shibli Faraz to take notice of the incident.

Calling the incident “absolutely unacceptable”, Mazari had attributed it to “sheer carelessness and lethargy”. She had also urged the information minister to take note of the incident.

Published in Dawn, June 17th, 2020