ISLAMABAD, March 3: The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) came under fire for its failure in checking ‘vulgarity and obscenity’ in programmes being broadcast by private TV channels, as the National Assembly Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting met here on Saturday.

Members of the treasury benches and the opposition observed that there was a need for Pemra to improve its monitoring mechanism, a participant of the meeting told Dawn.

Committee chairperson Rehana Aleem Mashadi said the idea of enlightened moderation given by President Gen Pervez Musharraf was being misconstrued. “Enlightened moderation does not mean westernising the society,” she said.

She stressed that Islamic values should be promoted in the country, and private TV channels should not be allowed to spread obscenity and vulgarity.

She urged the PTV to uphold Islamic and national traditions and values in its entertainment programmes. “As the country is facing a cultural onslaught from the West, the PTV should promote Islamic traditions and values so as the upcoming generations could not be derailed by the western culture,” she added.

Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali criticised Pemra for not properly monitoring private TV channels. He said the PTV should also observe that it did not use programmes of private production houses which were not in accordance with the religious and cultural norms.

Haider Abbas Rizvi of the MQM raised questions about the income of the PTV and claimed that the institution was facing a deficit of Rs6 billion.

He underlined the need for improving the standard of news and current affairs and allocating more time to the government representatives.

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Mohammad Ali Durrani said the PTV being the most credible institution would soon launch an independent news and current affairs channel to make its segments more dynamic and informative.

Mr Durrani said all subsidiary organisations of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting were most responsible institutions and credibility was the top priority for them.

He said they were promoting patriotism and ‘Pakistaniat’ under the ideology and sayings of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah and Allama Mohammad Iqbal.