PEMRA bans DawnNews program for three days

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 20 March 2017

PEMRA has banned the DawnNews program Zara Hut Kay for three days due to a discussion on a pending judicial reference. The ban begins on March 22 and ends on March 24.

Summary

ISLAMABAD – Electronic media regulator PEMRA has slapped a three-day ban on DawnNews program Zara Hut Kay for discussing a reference pending before the Supreme Judicial Council against Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui of Islamabad High Court.

The ban comes into effect from March 22 (11:00 pm) and stretches till Macrh 24 (midnight).

The trio of anchors Mubashir Zaidi, Wusatullah Khan and Zara Khoro discussed the reference in their program aired on March 9.

PEMRA said discussing a matter pending before the Supreme Judicial Council was a violation of rules and regulations and the code of conduct as well as directives of the SJC dated November 21, 2015.

Through a show cause notice issued to DawnNews on March 10, the regulator had asked the channel to explain its position.

Representing DawnNews, Agha Bilal and Mubashir Zaidi appeared before a committee for hearing and denied any intention of slandering or attempting contempt of judiciary, directly or indirectly in the program.

DawnNews has also been asked to install time-delay mechanism and constitute an in-house editorial committee.

KEY POINTS:

• PEMRA imposes a three-day ban on Zara Hut Kay program.
• Ban is due to discussing a pending reference against Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui.
• The program aired the controversial segment on March 9.
• DawnNews was asked to provide an explanation regarding the violation.
• DawnNews must install a time-delay mechanism and form an editorial committee.