Media accountability: SC forms commission to investigate irregularities

Nasir Aslam Zahid and Javed Jabbar to probe allegations of corruption.

ISLAMABAD:

The Supreme Court on Tuesday formally announced a two-member commission to investigate irregularities in the media, while hearing a petition filed by senior journalists Hamid Mir, Absar Alam and Asad Kharal.

The two-member commission will be headed by Justice (retd) Nasir Aslam Zahid, while former information minister Javed Jabbar is the second member of the commission.

The order said some of the issues addressed in these petitions required extensive information as well as technical expertise in the area of media regulation.

“At this point it is important to bear in mind that one of the important issues arising in these petitions is related to the creation and utilisation of secret funds by the various ministries of the federal government,” the court order said.

Asad Kharal, one of the petitioners, had earlier stated that the ministry of information and 26 other ministries/departments of the federal government had spent funds to the tune of Rs4.75 billion, the use of which is not accounted for.



TORs of the commission

According to the terms of references (ToRs), the commission will consider the role of the ministry of information and broadcasting and other government agencies in ensuring freedom of print and electronic media and whether there is information brought before the commission to justify the continued functioning of the ministry, consistent with Article 19 of the Constitution.

It will analyse as to what extent Pemra has been able to fulfil its mandate and ascertain whether PTV, PBC and APP – the recipients of public funding – maintain independent in-house management and establish transparent policies.



The commission will also consider the feasibility of allowing the media to adopt a self-regulatory code of conduct, while it will also investigate allegations of media-related corruption and suggest steps to ensure an impartial and independent media in the upcoming elections.

It will also investigate whether the government or its functionaries were pursuing a transparent, duly approved, bona fide government advertisement allocation policy or were the decisions to buy advertisement space with public money made arbitrarily or without objective criteria or to favour particular channels, journalists or media houses.

The commission is due to submit its findings on March 31, 2013.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 16^th, 2013.