PEMRA bars Geo from airing interview of former Taliban spokesman

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published 8 years ago

ISLAMABAD – Electronic media regulator PEMRA Thursday ordered Geo News not to air an interview of Ehsan Ullah Ehsan, a former spokesman of banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Geo ran a promo of the interview it planned to air Thursday evening in Saleem Safi’s program Jirga.

PEMRA said this was a clear violation of its directives issued under the  National Action Plan and Section 3(3) of the Electronic Media Code of  Conduct, 2015.

The regulator said it had received many complaints from viewers after Geo aired the promo.

“Glorification of terrorists cannot be allowed except the confessional statement which has already been released by the investigation agency,” PEMRA said.  “Even in that statement, only the selected parts are allowed to be aired which do not, in any manner, glorify a terrorist and his terrorist setup.

PEMRA warned Geo that in the case of non-compliance, it will take strict action.

Director  General of Inter-Services Public Relations Major General Asif  Ghafoor announced on April 17 that Ehsan Ullah Ehsan had surrendered to the Pakistan Army.