Tag: PEMRA

  • Call between Absar Alam- General Faiz Hameed leaks online

    Call between Absar Alam- General Faiz Hameed leaks online

    An aggressive conversation during a call allegedly between former Chairman of Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) Absar Alam and former Director General Inter Service Intelligence (ISI) Faiz Hameed has leaked online.
    ‘’I am complaining to you for not listening to us despite our best efforts, I don’t know what is the matter,’’ says Faiz Hameed to Absar Alam in the call.

    “I will send Brigadier Ghaffar to you. We sold out old channels whose licences are stuck. Do a special favour to resolve the issue,’’ he told Absar.
    ‘’You don’t listen to us, so I thought to request you on my own,’’ said the former spymaster in an aggressive tone.
    ‘’I don’t know channel names, although our brigadier will brief you,” Faiz concluded when Absar asked the channels names.

  • No surveys; PEMRA to take action against media channels violating ECP’s Code of Conduct

    No surveys; PEMRA to take action against media channels violating ECP’s Code of Conduct

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has officially communicated with the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), seeking strict action against media channels found violating the established code of conduct for the upcoming February 8 polls.

    The letter explicitly points out the airing of voting surveys by certain media channels. This practice, as per the ECP’s Code of Conduct for National Media, is prohibited under Clause 12.

    According to Clause 12, individuals working in print, electronic, and social media are prohibited from obstructing the election process and are required to display accreditation cards provided by the Election Commission.

    The ECP emphasized that both print and social media should refrain from conducting polls and surveys at polling stations or constituencies. The electoral watchdog stated that such activities have the potential to influence voters’ free choice and may disrupt the electoral process.

    The letter stated, “Given the seriousness of this issue, I am directed to state that PEMRA shall take prompt and appropriate action against the electronic media channels in strict alignment with Clause 12 of the Code of Conduct for National Media. A compliance report in this regard be also shared with this office as soon as possible for placing it before the Election Commission.”

    The ECP’s comprehensive 18-point code of conduct for media during elections includes provisions preventing the dissemination of content that reflects opinions prejudicial to the sovereignty, uprightness, or security of Pakistan. It also prohibits statements that could harm national solidarity or create a law and order situation.

    The regulatory framework extends to personal attacks on candidates or political parties in media content, mandating that any allegations should include comments from both sides. Monitoring responsibilities are delegated to Pemra, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, Press Information Department, and the Cyber Wing and Digital Media Wing of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

    The ECP further emphasized that these authorities are accountable for monitoring political parties’ and candidates’ coverage during election campaigns through electronic channels, print, and social media. Details of payments made by political parties and candidates must be submitted within 10 days after the poll day.

    The Election Commission of Pakistan warns that, in case of any violation of this Code of Conduct, it reserves the right to withdraw accreditation from individual journalists or media organizations. The authority to determine violations also rests with the electoral body. The media is also prohibited from airing unofficial results of a polling station until one hour after the close of the poll during the polling process coverage.

  • PEMRA nay laga dee TV channels pay aik aur pabandi

    PEMRA nay laga dee TV channels pay aik aur pabandi

    Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has barred television channels from airing anything that casts doubt on the electoral process.

    The notification, issued on November 3, states, “All the satellite TV channel licensees were directed vide this office directives dated 3* November, 2023 to strictly comply with the PEMRA’s Code of Conduct 2015 and ensure that no speculative, doubtful and false information/content with reference to electoral process or conduct of General Elections is aired, broadcasted or televised in any manner, whatsoever, which may subsequently hamper smooth conduct of the General Elections 2024.”

    It further says that all the licensees, while airing their transmission before General Elections 2024, must be mindful of the fact that no such content/discussion / comment is aired which may create doubts or an impression in the minds of the public about the polls or may sabotage elections through any negative/false news, information or report aired on any satellite TV channel, inadvertently.

    Anchor Person Mohammad Malick took to X (former Twitter) and wrote, “Has Pemra gone absolutely bonkers? media barred from even discussing the possibility of flawed election process by EC. All media outlets & journo orgs must outrightly reject this ridiculous ‘unholy commandment’. this is brazen censorship and must be resisted.”

    Secretary General South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA) Imtiaz Alam said, “Indeed, Election Commission of Pakistan should be respected, but it must earn respect by ensuring even-playing field fo all and transparently conducting electoral process. However, PEMRA order must be rejected. Media must critically evaluate the conduct of elections and ECP.”

  • When will ECP issue schedule of general elections in Pakistan?

    When will ECP issue schedule of general elections in Pakistan?

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) revealed on Friday that the eagerly awaited schedule for the general polls will be issued 54 days before the February 8 elections, as per Geo News.

    The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Sikandar Sultan Raja, said during an informal discussion with journalists that the election body is diligently working on completing all prerequisites for the upcoming polls.

    In June, the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government amended Section 57 of the Elections Act, empowering the ECP to set the general election date while defining a timeline of procedures from the announcement of the schedule to the polling day.

    CEC Sikandar Sultan Raja assured that the election schedule, appointment of returning officers (ROs), and district returning officers (DROs) will be announced promptly. He mentioned that updated constituency lists had already been released, and the ECP was proactively handling election-related responsibilities ahead of schedule.

    Despite concerns and speculations in political circles about potential delays in the already postponed polls, the ECP recently issued the final list of delimitation of constituencies for national and provincial assemblies, dismissing reports of possible delays.

    According to the notification issued by the ECP, the National Assembly (NA) has a total of 266 seats; 60 seats are reserved for women and 10 for religious minorities.

    Balochistan has a total of 20 NA seats, including 16 general and four reserved seats for women; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has 45 general NA seats and 10 reserved seats for women; Sindh has a total of 75 NA seats, of which 61 are general and the remaining 14 are reserved for women.

    On the other hand, considering population, Punjab is a big province, and it has 141 NA seats, of which 32 are reserved for women. The federal capital has three general NA seats, with no reserved seat for women.

    Article 106 pertains to the constituencies of the four provincial legislatures. According to this article, Balochistan comprises 51 general seats, with 11 reserved for women and three for non-Muslims, making a total of 65 seats.

    In the case of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, there are 115 general seats, along with 26 reserved for women and four for non-Muslims, bringing the total number of seats in the legislature to 145.

  • Petitions seek postponement of elections, citing ‘snowfall’ and ‘terrorism’

    Petitions seek postponement of elections, citing ‘snowfall’ and ‘terrorism’

    Two separate petitions seeking the postponement of elections have landed before the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) a day before the commission is set to publish final delimitation lists.

    The petitions, filed by individuals hailing from Balochistan, cited security issues and snowfall in several districts as reasons to seek the postponement of elections.

    One of the petitions filed by Meena Majeed, a general councilor from Mand tehsil of Kech district, through Advocate Fatima Nazar, stated that Balochistan was dealing with heightened security concerns.

    “Specifically, the Mekran division has witnessed a surge in terrorist activities, ranging from target killings of innocent daily wage earners to alarming incidents such as IED blasts and women suicide bombing,” it stated. The impact was most pronounced in districts such as Kech and Gwadar, where 61 acts of terrorism during the last three months alone claimed 32 lives, it read.

    “This topography coupled with inadequate road infrastructure and poor connectivity presents a formidable obstacle to implementing effective security measures and ensuring the feasibility of free and fair elections,” it added.

    The other petition, filed by Toor Gul Khan Jogezai from district Kila Saifullah Khan through Advocate Azizullah Kakakhel, pointed out that many districts and divisions in the country face heavy snowfall in winter which affects the daily routines of residents.

    As a result, elections can not be held in such areas, since the inhabitants of these areas were either displaced or are limited, until the month of May or restoration of normal life.

    The petition argued that if elections are held in such areas, it is feared that provincial or national assembly candidates would either lose their vote bank or voters would lose their votes in favor of their candidates.

    Hence, it is need of time that the election be postponed to any other suitable time through which the citizens of such an area could participate in a free and fair election and elect representatives according to their choice of constituency, the petition read.

    Elections ‘on time’

    ECP issued a firm rebuttal, cautioning that legal action could be taken against individuals disseminating misleading news about a potential delay in the polls scheduled for February 8, 2024.

    The ECP had earlier set February 8, 2024, as the election date following consultations with President Arif Alvi and in accordance with the Supreme Court’s directives.

    Despite the announcement and a consensus among political parties welcoming the development, some political leaders and analysts persisted in casting doubts on the scheduled elections.

    A spokesperson for the ECP, in a statement on Thursday, termed the media reports regarding election delay as “baseless and misleading”.

    The statement said a report claiming that the voters’ lists were not being prepared is “completely false”.

    The spokesperson further said that it has approached the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) to take legal action against those “spreading misleading news”.

  • Notices issued to Bajwa and Faiz over ‘controversial’ interviews

    Notices issued to Bajwa and Faiz over ‘controversial’ interviews

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has issued notices to former Army Chief General (retired) Qamar Javed Bajwa and former ISI Chief Lieutenant General (retired) Faiz Hameed over allegations of violating rules by giving interviews after their retirement, where they are accused of misrepresenting events.

    The notices were issued in response to a complaint filed by a private citizen named Atif Ali.

    The petition says that journalists Shahid Maitla and Javed Chaudhry conducted interviews with Bajwa and Faiz for the sake of viewership which had a “negative impact” on society. The petitioner said that he had been taken aback when he saw the articles as they could “pollute” society. It added that the garb of freedom of expression was used for a “criminal act”.

    The petition further alleges that events were misrepresented in the interviews and that the “criminal act” was conducted through connivance between the journalists and the generals.

    The petition says that the interviews portrayed a negative image of the institution and tried to create a rift between it and the people of Pakistan. Copies of the articles have also been attached to the petition.

    In addition to Gen. Bajwa and Lt. Gen. Hameed, notices have also been issued to the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) and the Press Association of Pakistan. Two journalists, Shahid Maitla and Javed Chaudhry, who conducted the interviews in question, have also been summoned by the court.

    Islamabad High Court’s Chief Justice, Aamer Farooq, in a written order issued on Monday, expressed dissatisfaction with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for not responding to the petitioner’s repeated requests to file a complaint.

  • May 9 attack; Imran Khan charged with ‘criminal conspiracy’

    May 9 attack; Imran Khan charged with ‘criminal conspiracy’

    The Punjab police have pressed charges of ‘criminal conspiracy’ against Imran Khan, the Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), and all other suspects in May 9 cases across the province. Official sources have disclosed to Dawn that a total of 50 cases were registered, encompassing charges under anti-terrorism and other relevant laws. Among these, 14 cases were filed in various police stations in Lahore and Rawalpindi, while nine were recorded in Sargodha, seven in Sheikhupura, five in Faisalabad, and one in Gujranwala.

    Moreover, the Punjab police have recently added offenses under sections 121 (waging or attempting to wage war or aiding such efforts against Pakistan), 131 (abetting mutiny or attempting to influence a soldier, sailor, or airman from their duty), and 146 (rioting) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) to the FIRs.

    Dr. Anoosh Masood Chaudhry, Lahore SSP (Investigation), while talking to the media, revealed that the police have also incorporated certain offenses/sections, including 34 and 120b of the PPC, into the May 9 cases.

    Section 34 reads: “Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention. When a criminal act is done by several persons, in furtherance of the common intention of all, each such person is liable for that act in the same manner as if it were done by him alone.”

    Section 120b states: “Whoever is a party to a criminal conspiracy to commit an offence punishable with death, imprisonment for life or rigorous imprisonment for a term of two years or upwards, shall, where no express provision is made in this Code for the punishment of such a conspiracy, be punished in the same manner as if he had abetted such offence.”

    As per the Lahore police’s investigation, Dr. Chaudhry stated that there appears to be substantial evidence confirming incitement to mutiny and the planning of vandalism on May 9.

    Responding to a question regarding Imran Khan’s presence at the crime scene, she emphasized that it is immaterial whether he was physically there or not, as evidence suggests that he incited the suspects to carry out violent attacks on sensitive installations of the Pakistan Army.

    Dr. Chaudhry further noted that the prosecution and police are awaiting final reports from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) concerning videos and other evidence related to the planners and perpetrators of the May 9 incidents. She assured that all objections raised by the prosecution have been addressed, and the challans for the May 9 cases will be submitted to the courts of law after receiving reports from the FIA and Pemra.

  • ‘Hadsa’ is back, Islamabad High Court reverses suspension

    ‘Hadsa’ is back, Islamabad High Court reverses suspension

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has released a judgement ordering the reversal of the suspension on the controversial drama ‘Hadsa’, a series banned by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) after the motorway rape survivor accused the show of capitalising on her trauma. Legal expert Reema Omar shared a clip of the judgement on her Twitter account, where it was highlighted that the regulation board had not listened to the drama makers before announcing the ban:

    “The inconvenience caused to the applicant/appellant side including their irreparable loss is visible, all these ingredients compel this Court to pass the injunctive order.”

    The judgement also ordered that the explicit scene in question- the controversial gang rape of Episode 5- may not be repeated or broadcasted in the upcoming episodes.

    The controversy surrounding ‘Hadsa’ began in August when journalist Fareeha Idress shared an account of her conversation with the survivor, who shared that she was not consulted by the show runners who aired the controversial scene, and requested help from authorities to take down the drama.

    “They have made a drama on my life,” Fereeha tweeted Z told her. “As if I am nothing, no one asked me, it’s same, they are showing the same things, oh my God! Why didn’t I die before reliving this again? You know , I didn’t sleep after the incident for many many nights and it’s all back now, I haven’t slept a wink since I saw this terrible, horrendous depiction of the most terrible moments of my life which I so want to forget. It’s unbearable, I start shivering every day at 5 pm because I know the drama is coming at 7 pm. Why are they doing this to me?”.

    READ MORE: ‘I asked is this related to the motorway incident’: Hadiqa Kiani on motorway rape survivor statement

    Hadiqa Kiani released a lengthy statement on her social media accounts addressing the accusation, saying that after consulting the script writer and the rest of the team, she was sure the drama was not based on the motorway rape survivor:

    “When I was asked to do the role of Taskeen for Hadsa my first question was ‘Is this related to the motorway incident?’ ‘Is this based off the true incident?’ – I made it clear that I would not do the project if it was based off anyone’s story. The team behind the project explicitly told me ‘No’. After many conversations with the team and only after reading the script I understood that Hadsa was not related to or based off on the motorway story.”

    Director Wajahat Rauf answered the criticism by saying the drama was not based on the life of the motorway survivor, and said the purpose of the screenplay was to raise awareness about the ordeal rape survivors go through:

    “The drama is not based on the motorway incident. The protagonist, her husband, her three children, the family dynamics, the police officers who investigate the crime, the reason behind the crime, and the trial are all fictional. The only thing common is the part that the incident occurred on a highway.”

    “The last thing we would want to do is be insensitive towards someone who has been a victim of this brutal crime. It is our opinion that it would be far more insensitive towards the victims if we did not adopt a condemnation tone; in that case, one might argue that we are not at all familiar with the trauma that a rape victim goes through.”

    “Our writer did speak to actual victims who were willing to talk about their trauma and how they eventually coped with it and that is what is reflected in the play. A character should be judged after seeing her entire role. Judgement shouldn’t be passed on the basis of a glimpse of social media posts. Writers and directors can show temporary weakness to show long term strength of a character that develops.”

    On August 31, PEMRA released a statement announcing a ban on ‘Hadsa’.

  • Pemra to take action against Netflix and other streaming platforms after Eid holidays

    Pemra to take action against Netflix and other streaming platforms after Eid holidays

    Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) is reportedly preparing to take action against over-the-top (OTT) platforms such as Netflix after the conclusion of Eid-ul-Azha, according to Khalid Arain, Chairman of the Cable Operators Association of Pakistan.

    Khalid disclosed that a productive dialogue had taken place between cable operators and senior officials from Pemra, during which the concerns of the cable operators were effectively communicated. He expressed the cable operators’ predicament, stating that they operate under broadcasting restrictions and are limited in the number of channels they can offer. In contrast, OTT platforms enjoy the freedom to stream popular channels.

    Khalid’s reference to OTT platforms pertains to online streaming services that deliver content via the internet. He further stressed the cable operators’ request for regulatory measures concerning operators that offer both internet and cable services.

    He said that the regulatory body has responded positively to the demands of cable operators. Pemra will establish a committee to address the issuance of licenses to cable operators and undertake a crackdown on OTT platforms following the conclusion of Eidul Azha.

    According to ProPakistani, the chairman also advocated for tax exemptions in the cable sector, drawing a parallel to the solar power industry and suggesting that taxes on cable operators should be alleviated. However, he did not provide a specific explanation or justification for this request.

    Additionally, he highlighted an inequity where the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) collects Local Loop license fees from cable operators in US dollars, while subscribers make payments to cable operators in the local currency. Arain deemed this situation unfair, citing the existing rupee-dollar exchange rate as a contributing factor.

  • Cannot air anything related to the conduct of serving judges, says PEMRA

    Cannot air anything related to the conduct of serving judges, says PEMRA

    Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has prohibited electronic media to broadcast anything which is related to the conduct of serving judges of High Courts and Supreme Court (SC).

    In a notification, issued on Thursday, PEMRA said that it has been observed that despite repeated directives, satellite TV channels are “persistently discussing the conduct of honourable judges of superior courts and orchestrating vilification campaign through airing slanderous allegations.”

    It also added that the broadcast of such a thing is a clear violation of the PEMRA Ordinance, hence they have issued the orders.

    PEMRA has also warned that if the orders are not implemented, the license of the respective TV channel will be suspended.

    The development has taken place when the credibility of judges is being discussed after alleged audio leaks of a Supreme Court judge came to light.

    In the audio conversation that was leaked online last month, allegedly featured former Chief Minister (CM) Punjab Pervaiz Elahi talking to and about a sitting SC judge.

    Later, in a YouTube show “Talk Shock”, veteran journalists Azaz Syed and Umar Cheema claimed that more audio leaks related to judges might surface soon.