ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has taken notice of a complaint against Information Minister Pervez Rashid, filed by a television anchor who claims the minister threatened him on air.
Dr Shahid Masood, who hosts a political talk show on a private TV channel, maintained in the complaint that the information minister threatened him in a speech aired on public and private TV channels.
“The complaint has been referred to PEMRA Council of Complaints for further action,” a PEMRA spokesman said in a statement released Sunday.
“These comments, which went on air in the absence of a time-delaying mechanism and lack of editorial control by certain TV channels, have hurt the feelings of Dr Shahid Masood.” Masood claims the information minister’s remarks were an attempt to damage his reputation and credibility across the globe.
He said people from all over the world expressed concern after the information minister’s ‘threats’ went on air. He requested PEMRA to take action against the minister as per the regulatory body’s laws.
Rashid, in his speech, had said Masood issued a warning to Finance Minister Ishaq Dar about his imminent arrest at least ‘10 times during his show on ARY News’. The information minister in his speech had demanded that the channel force Masood to explain his remarks and present relevant evidence.
Earlier this month, PEMRA warned the private news channel for airing ‘irresponsible and baseless’ analysis on appointments and promotions of generals in the Pakistan Army.
“Having monitored channels for the last few months, we noted that during a talk show, the hosts deliberately discussed sensitive issues in such an irresponsible and casual manner, which is unacceptable by journalism standards,” read the statement issued by the PEMRA at that time.
The statement said postings, appointments and promotions in Pakistan’s armed forces are done on the basis of merit, not keeping in view an individual’s caste such as Arain, Jutt, Butt and Chaudhry, as claimed in a talk show aired on Feb 9.
“Moreover, their analysis on meetings between the political and military leadership and their ‘jeep rides’ is speculative and nowhere in the world is media allowed to present such misleading views,” the letter added.
PEMRA also censured the TV channel for airing ‘hate speech’ against Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai and her family, warning that accusations of blasphemy could endanger lives. Malala, who moved to England after being shot in the head by the Taliban, is both admired and hated in her Pakistan where some view her as a Western agent on a mission to shame her country.
