ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi on Tuesday called for discouraging the culture of fake news as it created chaos in the society and misled the people. Talking to Chairman Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) Muhammad Saleem Baig here at Aiwan-e-Sadr, the President said the media needed to play its role in promoting ethical and moral values and avoid spreading false information.

He urged Pemra to improve standards of information, education and entertainment by optimizing the free flow of information. The President said the society was facing the challenge of false news and it was the responsibility of the concerned stakeholders to avoid disseminating fake news as it created many problems for the people.

He said spreading false news was against the spirit of Islam and it was the moral obligation of editorial boards of media houses as well as Ulema to play their role in guiding and educating the people to overcome the challenge of false news.

He urged Pemra Chairman to ensure the dissemination of unbiased, accurate and verified information through electronic media so as to curb the scourge of fake news. The President appreciated the performance of Pemra and assured the Chairman of his full support.

The Pemra Chairman presented the Annual Report 2019-2020 to the President and briefed him about the role of his organisation in facilitating and promoting free and independent electronic media in Pakistan. He also highlighted the steps taken for promoting true and accurate information in the country.