Govt trying to postpone PEMRA session: Mian Shamsul Rehman
He warned of strong protests if session postponed upon governments pressure.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) member Mian Shamsul Rehman said on Wednesday that the government is trying to postpone the upcoming PEMRA session due on May 16. He warned of strong protests if session postponed upon government’s pressure, Dunya News reported.
Talking exclusively to Dunya News, Mian Shamsul Rehman said that only high courts have the authority to postpone PEMRA’s sessions and that no government official can do so.
He said that Pakistan and the whole world are looking at the matter of Geo News and that the government should let PEMRA proceed with its session. He reiterated that strong protest will be held if government hinders the ongoing proceedings.
He said that Law Ministry only has to decide on who will hear the complaint of the Defence Ministry.
PEMRA is proceeding against private TV channel Geo News upon complaint filed by Defence Ministry.
Geo News landed itself into controversy on April 19 in its coverage following the attack on prominent journalist Hamid Mir.
The attack was reported on every national TV channel including Dunya News within minutes of attack; however, Geo News distinguished itself in coverage by airing Hamid Mir’s brother Amir Mir’s allegations on Director General (DG) of national institution. Geo News allegedly took it to task to repeatedly malign and defame DG ISI by flashing his picture on the breaking news broadcast for at least eight hours.
The channel backtracked by terming the allegations as Hamid Mir’s brother’s own statement and not of the channel.
Amir Mir claimed during the broadcast that Hamid Mir had informed him that DG ISI Lt. General Zaheer-ul-Islam is to be blamed if he was attacked.
