PEMRA Councils recommends Rs500,000 fine on Channel 24

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 28 August 2016

PEMRA's Council of Complaints has proposed a Rs500,000 penalty for Channel 24 over misleading broadcasting. The channel was found to have incorrectly portrayed Maryam Nawaz's meeting in a report aired in June.

Summary

ISLAMABAD – The Council of Complaints of PEMRA has recommended a fine of Rs500,000 on Channel 24 for airing a picture of Maryam Nawaz and claiming she was chairing a meeting of federal secretaries in the absence of her father - Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

The picture, it has now been proven was that of a meeting from January 24 that Maryam chaired as the chairperson of Prime Minister Youth Loan Program which was attended by regional heads of National Bank of Pakistan.

The Council that met in Islamabad said no representative of the channel appeared before them, and termed their explanations submitted earlier, as unsatisfactory.

The channel has been directed to air an apology, failing which their license could be cancelled. The picture was shown during the program Khara Sach, hosted by Mubashar Lucman (pictured) on June 10.

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PEMRA forwards Maryam Nawaz's complaint against Channel 24 to its Council

KEY POINTS:

• PEMRA recommends Rs500,000 fine on Channel 24.
• Channel aired misleading image of Maryam Nawaz.
• Misrepresentation involved federal secretaries meeting.
• No representative from Channel 24 appeared before the council.
• Channel may face license cancellation if an apology is not aired.