Allegations against NA Speaker: Parliamentary panel decides to summon owners, anchorpersons, others

A parliamentary panel taking serious notice of airing of "baseless allegations" against Speaker National Assembly and a Parliamentarian decided to summon TV license holders, anchorpersons and editorial staff of TV channels. Standing Committee on Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage met under the chairmanship of Pir Muhammad Aslam Bodla on Tuesday where serious concerns were shown over airing of "baseless allegations" against public office holders and the Members of the Parliament.
The committee, while discussing the matter of airing baseless and false allegations against public office holders and Members of the Parliament on TV channels, had a consensus that no one should be allowed to cast aspersions without any documentary evidence.
Committee members were of the view that PEMRA had failed to exercise its role as effective electronic media regulator. They observed that PEMRA should have taken a stern action against anchorpersons and TV channels over broadcasting such nefarious allegations and making mockery of elected representatives.
Chairman Pemra Absar Alam informed the committee that the PEMRA had forwarded complaints received against such TV anchorpersons to its Council of Complaints and proceedings were in progress. The news channels have been repeatedly cautioned to abide by the Pemra Code of Conduct, however, a few channels have failed to comply with the instructions over which necessary actions have been initiated.
He suggested that the Parliamentary Committees were supreme and had the inherent powers to summon the violators. Therefore, the Standing Committee on Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage may summon TV license holders, anchorpersons and editorial staff of TV channels over airing baseless allegations, he added. He further proposed putting in place a strong legislation on the matter saying the PEMRA is working in its ambit and using its power. Replying to a question, Absar Alam said that the Authority has the power to impose a fine of up to one million rupees.
Standing Committee directed the M/o Information to complete consultation process with Media Organisations for their input and submit a draft of the "Media Protection and Welfare Bill". The Director General M/o Information apprised the committee that the process of consultation can not be completed due to postponement of elections of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists that would be held as per latest information in January 2017.
The meeting was attended by MNAs, Malik Shakir Bashir Awan, Waseem Akhtar Shaikh, Tahir Iqbal Chaudhry, Ghulam Bibi Bharwana, Parveen Masood Bhatti, Arifa Khalid Parvez, Marriyum Aurangzeb, Syed Amir Ali Shah Jamote, Imran Zafar Leghari, Belum Hasnain, Naeema Kishwer Khan and other senior officers of the departments concerned.