Live call puts Din News in trouble

JournalismPakistan.com | Published: 21 January 2016 | JP Staff Report

Din News TV received a notice from PEMRA following derogatory comments made about the judiciary in a live call. The channel is now under scrutiny for compliance with media regulations.
Summary

ISLAMABAD — The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has issued a show-cause notice to Din News TV after derogatory remarks against the judiciary were aired during a live talk show.

The incident took place on Thursday, January 21, during the program Pakistan Online with P J Mir. A caller, identified as Ali Nawaz, was taken on air live without sufficient editorial control or a time-delay mechanism in place. During his remarks, Nawaz harshly criticized the judiciary, stating: "Neither the Chief Justice of Lahore High Court is taking any action nor the Supreme Court Chief Justice is doing anything.....but they make tall claims they are doing this and that. The conditions are such Mr Mir, that our judiciary has no shame....it is shameless..."

PEMRA said that airing such remarks reflected lax editorial oversight and a failure to implement safeguards designed to prevent contemptuous or offensive content from being broadcast. The regulator also noted that Din News had previously been served notices for airing content deemed to be in contempt of court.

The watchdog stressed that the channel’s actions violated the Supreme Court Code of Conduct 2015 as well as relevant PEMRA laws. Din News has now been given 14 days to submit a written response, explaining why punitive measures — which may include fines or suspension — should not be taken against them.

This latest notice highlights PEMRA’s ongoing scrutiny of broadcast channels and reinforces the challenges faced by Pakistani news outlets in balancing free expression with compliance to regulatory and judicial standards.

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