PEMRA bans broadcast of speeches from proclaimed offenders, absconders  

ISLAMABAD:  Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) on Thursday barred television channels from airing the speeches of the absconding accused and proclaim offenders, ARY NEWS reported.

The regulatory body in a handout issued today barred to broadcast the speeches and interviews of proclaimed offenders and absconders on national television. The PEMRA also barred the broadcast of any sort of debate on the possible outcome of the undergoing trials.

The decision has come after the speeches of the absconding three-time Prime Minister and PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif were broadcasted on the national television and the government demanded the authorities to take notice of it.

In October 2019, Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) directed all satellite television channels licensees to form an in-house committee to ensure compliance with the Electronic Media Code of Conduct, 2015.

The directives issued by PEMRA said TV channels should ensure deployment of effective time delay mechanism and an impartial and independent Monitoring Committee or Editorial Board be constituted, as required under clause 17 of Electronic Media (Programs and Advertisement) Code of Conduct 2015, Radio Pakistan reported.

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The news channels’ owners have been asked not to allow their platform to be used by anyone to mislead public through disinformation conjecturing and speculations.

PEMRA warned the media owners that licensee shall be held responsible for any biased, unfair analysis or propaganda against the judiciary and state institutions by their employees.

It also advised media channels to invite participants with due care, having credibility as fair and unbiased analysts with requisite knowledge and expertise on the subject matter.