The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has directed Channel 24 and its anchor to air an apology for propagating false news about Prime Minister Imran Khan.
“The apology, including that in audio visual and text scroll form, should clearly refer to in its subjective context without repeating the afore-noted news item,” a PEMRA press release said on Friday.
The channel is also directed to deposit Rs 1 million as fine in favour of PEMRA within seven days.
It said that in case of failure to comply with the above orders, either in partial or as a whole, the programme titled “Najam Sethi Ke Sath” shall remain prohibited for 30 days.
The statement also read that if the channel failed to comply with the afore-stated directives, it would be construed that the channel was willfully defiant, and subsequently proceeding would be initiated to suspend/revoke the channel’s license. “PEMRA, in pursuance to the recommendations of Council of Complaints Islamabad made in its 49th meeting dated April 24, 2019 in the matter of complaint lodged by Mr Imran Khan, prime minister of Pakistan through M/s Babar Awan & Associates against ‘Channel-24’ / M/s Central Media (Pvt) Ltd, has decided in terms of Clause 18 of the Electronic Media (Programmes and Advertisements) Code of Conduct 2015, that the channel and its anchor should air apology within seven days from the date of issuance of this order, during the prime time in the same programme, to its audience in the same magnitude as the allegations were aired, besides running text scrolls to the same effect for propagating false news about prime minister of Pakistan,” the press release said.
