'Probe into Maryam's audio clip to be completed within two days'

State Minister Farrukh Habib says the committee is looking into Maryam's role and mechanism of ads during PML-N era

ISLAMABAD:

Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib has said that an investigation into the audiotape of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice-President Maryam Nawaz will be completed by Wednesday.

Last week, Maryam confirmed the authenticity of a viral audio clip in which she could be heard issuing instructions to someone to stop advertisements to certain TV channels. The response came after a reporter asked the PML-N leader if the clip doing rounds that contained her voice was authentic.

In a statement on Monday, Habib said that the information ministry is conducting an inquiry into the clip.

According to him, it is aimed at digging into the details of advertisements from the year 2008 to date.

The body, he said, is looking into the mechanism of advertising in the PML-N era and the capacity in which Maryam, who is the daughter of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, influenced decisions in this regard.

According to him, the influence regarding the advertisements affected the freedom of press.

The minister observed that certain media groups were favoured in the past. He, however, clarified that the information ministry does not have a record of the advertisement data as yet.

The state minister also said that the data of advertisements showed that the channels which were being prevented from the government advertisements are the ones referred to in the telephone call.

Also read: Maryam confirms authenticity of viral audio clip

"The spending of public money had been influencing the editorial policy of media outlets," he added.

On the other hand, Senator Irfan Siddiqui, former aide to Nawaz, has said that one should look at the advertisements from 1999 instead of just the political era.

"We have only taken the politicians to task on what they did," he said and asked whether those controlling the dictatorial regimes were clean.

Siddiqui demanded an inquiry into the advertisements during the Musharraf regime.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the body overseeing the matter has observed that some channels were getting a lot of advertisements while others weren't.

"Media workers are forced to commit suicide if they do not get paid. How is it possible that TV channels run the data of old advertisements and the committee has nothing in its possession?"

The chair of the body sought details of advertisements given to TV channels during the PML-N regime. He also said that whenever advertisements are given, sports and entertainment channels should also be given a share.

PTV-Shoaib Akhtar row

On the matter of altercation between PTV Sports host Nouman Niaz and former fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, officials from the ministry have said the matter has been sorted out by Minister of Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry and an inquiry is underway.