13 channels docked for airing ‘false news’

Each channel to pay a penalty of Rs0.5m, tender apology

ISLAMABAD: The country’s broadcast media regulator imposed a penalty of Rs0.5 million on 13 private television channels for airing fabricated news concerning Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairperson’s third marriage.

The punitive measure was announced by Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority on Saturday, even though PTI had long withdrawn its complaint.



The authority maintained that the decision of imposing a fine was aimed at ‘upholding the standards of journalism’.

Each channel would have to pay a penalty of Rs0.5 million, PEMRA Complaints Council Islamabad said.

On July 12, almost all private television channels aired news about Imran Khan’s third marriage. Despite Imran’s categorical rejection the channels continued to air the news.

PTI Head of Central Media Department Iftikhar Durrani lodged a complaint against the channels on July 13. The party, however, withdrew its complaint against all the channels, except Dunya TV, on August 26.



PEMRA has also directed the 13 television channels to tender an unconditional apology for airing the false news, warning that non-compliance of which could lead to the cancellation of their licences.

“It’s against the fundamentals of justice. All channels who violated the code of conduct will be punished in a bid to uphold standards of journalism,” PEMRA said in a statement.

Reacting to PEMRA’s decision, Durrani said the move seemed to be ‘politically motivated’. PTI reserves every right to opt for legal course of action against PEMRA’s decision,” Durrani said adding that he had lodged a complaint not to target any TV channel but to make them realize their sense of responsibility.



The head of PEMRA Complaints Council in Islamabad, Shamim Hamayon, chaired the meeting, while its members Prof Dr Maqsood Jafri, Dr Shahjahan Syed, Haroon Rashid, Nuzhat Fatima and Mohammad Farooq also attended the meeting.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 28^th, 2016.