Pakistan: PPP Human Rights Cell Statement on Banning of Television Channel

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The PPP Human Rights Cell has cautioned against banning of a Television Channel and instead called upon the Government to strengthen PEMRA to ensure that electronic channels abide by a code of conduct that should be effectively enforced and regulated.

“Resorting to a ban is censorship and there is no room for censorship in a democracy,” stated Dr Nafisa Shah, Central Coordinator of the PPP Human Rights Cell.

“While the Cell endorses that press and media must exercise responsibility and not run vilification campaigns, we will not be a party to curbs on media freedom.” She added.

It is a fact some electronic channels have run full scale campaigns, sometimes maligning national institutions, and constitutional positions and often jeopardizing national interest. This is both the fault of the regulator, PEMRA, and the inability of the channel owners to enforce the code of conduct. It is time that media community agree to abide by the code of conduct and maintain strict neutrality while covering events, noted the members in a meeting held to deliberate on the issue. The last PPP Government and its leaders were repeatedly made a victim of media trials, but the government including Prime Minister and President Zardari demonstrated patience and tolerated criticism .We are concerned that the Ministry of Information has failed to address the raging media wars, the lethal infighting between channels, and had become a bystander, which has led to the present impasse, the Cell members reiterated. On this occasion the members affirmed their commitment to democracy and called upon all political forces to resist any conspiracies against the democratic system.

Present in the meeting were Secretary General Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, Yasmeen Rehman, ShahJehan Sarfraz.