Violation of Code of Conduct: Pemra issues 64 notices to 18 TV channels, Kaira tells National Assembly

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira has informed the National Assembly here on Monday that the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has issued 64 legal notices to 18 private TV channels on violation of Code of Conduct during 2008-2009 and 2007-2008.
In a written reply, he informed the house that it is certified that till date Pemra has issued 81 licences for Satellite TV Channels in the country. He said that the Pemra has granted Landing Rights Permissions to two foreign Satellite TV Channels (Silver and Star Light Channels) for marketing and distribution.
A Code of Conduct has been prescribed for them under Schedule B of Pemra Rules 2002. At present Pemra has issued Landing Rights Permissions to 29 foreign Satellite TV channels. To a question, he said that around 45,619 internally displaced persons (IDPs) families were temporarily settled outside North West Frontier Province including 12,738 families in Islamabad, 22,606 in Punjab, 9,996 in Sindh and 54 in Balochistan.
Around 17,375 displaced families were registered from FATA upto August 31, whereas only 11,080 were verified at the Dera Ismail Khan and Tank. Responding to a query, he said that the government would not tolerate any kind of embezzlement in disbursement of the funds for the IDPs and strict action would be taken if any person is found guilty. After completion of registration process, the NADRA has verified 382,000 families. The cash grants have been disbursed through the cash cards system, which would continue in future.
He said the government has allocated Rs 50 billion for the reconstruction of the affected areas of Swat and Malakand and the relevant committee has decided to disburse the second tranche of grant to the affectees. The World Food Programme has also decided to initiate the food package for the affected people re-settled in the province. Kaira added that the food baskets are also being provided to the displaced families of FATA and a grant of Rs 5,000 would also be granted to each of them.