ISLAMABAD: Religious Affairs Minister Pir Noorul Haq Qadri has called upon the prime minister to lay down strict guidelines for regulating television transmissions during Ramazan.

In a letter written to Prime Minister Imran Khan, excerpts from which were released on Wednesday, the minister said anchors and presenters invariably create controversies during Ramazan shows and invite expressions of outrage from the public on social media. The ministry of religious affairs itself receives complaints that most of the guests lack the deep understanding in matters of faith needed to express opinions at such shows.

Although the minister did not name any individual in his letter, an official said the ministry had received a large number of complaints against Aamir Liaquat, the television host and MNA, that he was setting “a bad example for society”.

“Similar complaints were received against Mufti Qavi,” the official said. “But there is no legal channel to restrict anybody from hosting any show at a private channel,” the official noted.

The minister wrote to Prime Minister Imran Khan: “I would like to draw your kind attention to a very sensitive issue being observed over the last few years that TV channels telecast special programmes during Ramazan. It has been noted with concern that a large number of hosts who appear at these shows lack sufficient knowledge of Islam and hardly qualify to anchor such programmes.

“As a result, controversies crop up and social media users troll such content and also complain to this ministry as well as to other authorities.”

The ministry suggested the government thrash out guidelines for Ramazan transmissions and make it binding upon TV channels to select individuals well versed in Islamic affairs to host religious programmes.

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2022