Dr. Shahid Masood
FOE Link or motive by PPF
ConfirmedCase Update Status
The show was suspended for two weeks and restored after it.
Summary of Case
"The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) on March 10, 2023 suspended journalist Shahid Masood’s television show on GNN for two weeks over “false news” regarding relief assistance handed to Turkiye in the wake of the earthquake that claimed more than 40,000 lives. In a statement, Pemra said that Masood, in his show ‘Live with Dr Shahid Masood’, “made baseless” comments while “uttering false news” regarding the aid given by the Sindh government for the victims of last month’s earthquake. “That programme was aired on February 16 and the comments caused irreparable damage to the diplomatic relationship between the two brotherly countries,” the authority said. The press release highlighted that the contents of the programme were also “cited in international media for propaganda against Pakistan”. It added that the content aired in Masood’s show was based on a clip taken from social media. “A show cause notice was issued to the channel dated Feb 20 and an opportunity was given for a formal personal hearing,” Pemra said, adding that Dr. Masood’s programme was banned for two weeks from March 10 after “considering the response of the channel”. In the show which aired on February 16, Masood had claimed that the aid sent by Pakistan was in fact the same that Turkiye had sent during last year’s devastating floods. He further said that the aid had tags showing that it was from the Sindh government. It is pertinent to mention that Masood had tendered an apology in the show which aired on February 20, saying that he spread the information “unintentionally”. He said that he had had suddenly received a message from a Turkish or Syrian number moments before his programme was supposed to go live. “When programmes are going live, we keep an eye out for current news,” he said. He noted that the authorities concerned, as well as the Pakistan embassy in Turkey, had looked into the matter after which it emerged that the claim was false. “It wasn’t even on my mind that this will spread like wildfire,” he said. “I apologies from the bottom of my heart. Or should I excuse myself? I don’t know,” Masood said."
Category of Incident
Censorship
ICCS Status
ICCS Divisions: 0803-Acts related to freedom of expression or control of expression
ICCS Group: 08039-Other acts related to freedom of expression or control of expression
ICCS Class: N/A
ICCS Crime: Acts related to freedom of expression or control of expression
Reported By
Dawn
Date of incident
10
Month
March
Year
2023
Name of affected person
Dr. Shahid Masood
Other affected persons
Not other person affected
Name of affected organization
GNN News
Other affected organizations
No other organization was affected
Action by
Pakistan Electronic Media Reglatory Authority (PEMRA)
City
Nationwide
Province
Nationwide
Designation
Anchor
Professional category
Journalist
Age of victim
55
Marital Status
MarriedCompensation Details
Amount of compensation announced by government: No compensation announced
Date of compensation announcement by government: No compensation announced
Date of compensation paid by government: No compensation announced
Amount of compensation announced by others: No compensation announced
Date of compensation announced by others: No compensation announced
Date compensation paid by others: No compensation announced
FIR Details
Was FIR registered ?: No
Court Details
Was case investigated ?: No
Court where case was presented: Case is not in any court
Name of prosecuting lawyer: Case is not in any court
Date of first court hearing:
Date of last court hearing:
Status of court case: Case is not in any court
Journalist Union Status
PFUJ
Not required to contact
APNS
N/A
CPNE
N/A
PBA
N/A
Condemn Status
Colleague of victim
Not required to contact
Employer organization
Not required to contact
Press Club Status
Press club 1: Not required to contact
Press club 2: N/A
Press club 3: N/A