PESHAWAR, April 17: Shahid Hamayun, executive member of Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra), said here on Monday that legislation was under process to stop illegal FM radio stations operating in the Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (Fata).

Responding to newsmen’s questions during a public hearing on applications seeking FM radio licences for 13 districts of the NWFP, he said that at present Pemra had no authority to take action in Fata and Pata (Provincially Administered Tribal Areas).

However, a legislation was under process to empower Pemra act against illegal radio stations in Fata.

He said apart from Fata, illegal radio stations were also operating in areas in the jurisdiction of provincial governments which, he added, were cooperating with Pemra in its efforts to close them down.

He said at the public hearing that Pemra had so far issued 86 licences for radio channels out of which 47 were operational. Similarly, he said, the authority had issued 16 TV licences out of which 10 were operational and the remaining would start functioning soon.

In response to a question about ban on Indian channels on cable networks, Mr Humayun said the action was taken because transmissions of Pakistani channels were not allowed in India.

Answering a question about screening of vulgar movies by cable operators, he said Pemra was taking prompt action on such complaints.

The authority, he said, had constituted a Council of Complaints in the provincial capital to keep a check on cable operators.

In response to a question about objectionable language used in advertisement on radio channels, Mr Hamayun said the authority had also taken notice of the issue.

Earlier, director general (technical) Abdul Jabbar said that Pemra had planned to provide FM radio stations at sub-divisional level in the country because such channels were playing a very positive role in creating awareness among masses of social issues.

He said Pemra would hold similar public hearings in other provinces.

Later, the executive member of Pemra presented souvenirs to members of the Council of Complaints including its chairman for NWFP, Justice Abdul Karim Kundi.

Souvenirs were also given to president Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry Ghazanfar Bilour, ex-president SCCI Ghulam Sarwar Mohmand and Naib Nazim Peshawar Razaullah Khan.—APP