On 17th August 2017 Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) issued notices to different private channels such as ARY, HUM TV & Geo Entertainment for content which were against the PEMRA Ordinance & Code of Conduct 2015.
But when certain journalists and politicians such as Zahid Hussain and Sherry Rahman criticized the action and alleged that PEMRA have become morality police PEMRA tweeted clips from the series which were against its own code of conduct.
Pakistani citizens back decision of PEMRA and support the warnings and penalties that are applied on these TV channels. The support is reflected on social media where people appreciated the action. PEMRA should have ignored few journalists & politicians who were objecting against the notice without even knowing why it was issued.
????? ?? ?? ?? ???? ???????????? ?? ?? ?? ??? ??? ?????????? ?? ?????? ???? ???? ???! [1/1] pic.twitter.com/W104JHmBfi
— Report PEMRA (@reportpemra) August 17, 2017
PEMRA should have restrained itself from uploading the content online to respond to these allegations. The Press release which was later issued was itself enough and gave complete details why these channels were issued notices, there was no need for the clips.
Geo TV aired content which depicted alcohol consumption while clauses of PEMRA didn’t allow ‘alcohol consumption, narcotics or drug abuse’. Hum TV was issued notice because the content against the code of conduct which prohibits content if it is ‘distressing to children, is against common accepted social values, or is abusive or vulgar’. ARY aired foreign content which was against code of conduct which bans ‘indecent, obscene or pornographic’ content.