ISLAMABAD: Islamabad High Court (IHC) has upheld fine of Rs500,000 on the private TV channel, ‘Channel 24’ imposed by Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) for airing a false report against Ms Maryam Nawaz Sharif in anchor Mubasher Lucman’s programme ‘Khara Such’.
According to details, In the said programme dated June 10, 2016 it was falsely reported that Ms Maryam Nawaz had held meetings with Federal Secretaries and had given them instructions with respect to running affairs of the government. A picture was also displayed in the said programme in which it was implied that she was chairing a meeting of the Federal Secretaries. In fact the picture was related to a meeting that Ms Maryam Nawaz chaired in her capacity as Chairperson of the Prime Minister’s Youth Business Loan Programme. After airing of the programme, Ms Maryam Nawaz filed a complaint with the regulator against the said false reporting. The Council of Complaints (CoC) took up the complaint and during the proceedings, the licensee failed to prove its stance. Upon this the CoC recommended a fine of Rs500,000 on the TV channel for leveling false allegations against Ms Maryam Nawaz Sharif.
The competent authority later on October 10, 2016 approved those recommendations directing the channel to pay the fine. Later, PEMRA’s decision was challenged by the licensee in the IHC. However, Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb of the IHC after hearing the arguments turned down the appeal and upheld PEMRA’s decision saying, “The display of respondent no. 2 (Maryam Nawaz) picture with the Regional heads of the National Bank of Pakistan in the said programme while the host/anchor was alleging that respondent no. 2 had held meetings with Federal Secretaries and had given them instructions regarding affairs of the government cannot by any stretch of imagination, be termed “accurate” and “fair.”
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