Law under study to keep check on TV show antics

Senate panel discusses proliferation of phony ‘experts’, saints and healers on morning shows

ISLAMABAD: The government is planning to introduce a law to maintain checks on morning and other entertainment shows to stop fake, fraudulent and unprofessional antics that deceive the public.

The rise of non-professional, phony ‘experts’ in morning shows along with programmes of fake saints and healers on television channels was discussed at length in Senate Standing Committee on Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage.

Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) chief Absar Alam had told a Senate panel about the proposed law. The law was shared with panel by the chairman after MQM Senator Mian Ateeq introduced a private bill to stop the promotion of herbal remedies on entertainment channels.

The Pemra chief had handed a dossier of the proposed law to Senator Kamil Ali Agha the chair of the committee. The dossier had details of the law and provisions about handling of the prevailing challenges in electronic media.



“We daily get to see dermatologists, herbalists, and fake doctors in morning shows suggesting remedies for skin and other health diseases,” Ateeq told the panel while talking about his bill. He added that the fake remedies were very harmful and may cause harm to the audience if followed.

The senator’s bill suggested that a valid experience certificate for that profession should be issued to these doctors and should have more than 10 years of experience.

PPP’s Senator Sassui Palijo in principle agreed with the bill but stated that there were more serious issues like clerics misinterpreting Islamic verses and issuing edicts without foreseeing their consequences.

“It is preposterous and bizarre that religion has become tool for such antics and look at the magic and fake healers who claim to treat pain and miseries of people on television,” she remarked, claiming that it was the issue that merited immediate and strict measures from Pemra.



Meanwhile, State Minister for Information Marriyum Aurangzeb said the issue and the bill were positive but the government was already working on a similar legislation.

Information Secretary Ahmad Nawaz Sukhera while talking about the Pemra chief’s document said that since this was a piece of legislation it must be sent through the ministry which was the proper channel.

To this, the committee chairperson suggested that the committee members, including Ateeq and Palijo, could send their suggestions in the draft introduced by the Pemra chief.

Later, in the meeting it was also decided that Ministry of Law, information secretary and Pemra would discuss the draft and inculcate suggestions of panel members and then share it with the committee.

While talking about the initial draft of journalists’ welfare and protection bill, 2017, the minister informed the committee that was ready and will be soon introduced in the committee and Parliament.