The Geo News report claimed that White House reprimanded Pakistan’s Ambassador to US Jalil Abbas Jilani for tweeting pictures with US First Lady Michelle Obama in a letter to Pakistan’s Washington Embassy and Foreign Office Islamabad.
“As Geo News in its August 30, 2016 8:00 AM bulletin ran an unverified report maintaining that Pakistan’s ambassador to US Jalil Abbas Jilani was reprimanded by White House over a tweet posted by the ambassador after FLOTUS’s Pakistan House visit, through a letter to Foreign Office Islamabad and the country’s Washington Embasssy,” reads the PEMRA notice.
The notice says that ambassador Jilani had complained that Geo News, by airing this fake news, not only misled the people of the country but also allowed international media especially India media house to spew venom against Pakistan.
The notice directs Geo News administration to explain, within seven days, as to why the channel should not be charged with Rs1million penalty for airing unverified news or the channel’s license should be cancelled.
Back on May 28, United States First Lady Michelle Obama visited the Pakistan Embassy in Washington and met Mr Jilani and discussed US aid for the education sector of Pakistan. Jilani had tweeted pictures relating to FLOTUS visit.
After the Geo News report, a number of Indian media houses ran the news terming it a ‘Global snub for Pakistan‘.
Baseless Report regarding Pakistan’s Amb to the US reg a letter of displeasure from the WHouse to is completely incorrect and baseless.
— Pakistan Embassy, DC (@PakEmbassyDC) August 30, 2016
No such letter has been received in our Mission in Washington or Ministry. It is nothing but a figment of the Reporter’s own imagination. — Pakistan Embassy, DC (@PakEmbassyDC) August 30, 2016
It is unethical on the part of the Reporter, based in Washington, to have filed a baseless story without verifying its authenticity.
— Pakistan Embassy, DC (@PakEmbassyDC) August 30, 2016
