Case Update Status

During a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights, the irregularities and shortcomings in the investigation of the F-9 Park rape case. (April 18, 2023).

Summary of Case

"PPF urges PEMRA to reverse order prohibiting coverage of F-9 Park rape; ban tantamount to the sweeping issue of sexual harassment under the rug. Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) has urged the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) to reverse its order prohibiting coverage of a rape at the F-9 Park in Islamabad. While the regulatory body can issue reporting guidelines to maintain the victim's anonymity, entirely prohibiting coverage of the incident is tantamount to sweeping the issue of sexual harassment under the rug. Incidents of sexual harassment are pervasive and continue to take place nationwide. Prohibiting coverage of such acts enables an environment of lack of accountability for perpetrators and undermines the importance of reporting incidents of sexual harassment. According to Dawn, on January 31, a woman was raped at gunpoint at F-9 Park. A First Information Report (FIR) was registered against two unidentified persons under Section 376 (punishment of rape) of the Pakistan Penal Code. A prohibition order issued by PEMRA, dated February 5, said that some television channels were airing reports regarding the F-9 rape incident in which the victim's identity had been revealed. On this basis, the regulator has stopped coverage of the incident. The order states: broadcast/rebroadcast of news/reports regarding the F-9 Park Islamabad incident is PROHIBITED with immediate effect”. Similarly, in 2020, PEMRA banned the coverage of the gang rape of a woman on a busy highway where a woman was gang-raped in the outskirts of the city of Lahore, leading to outrage and protests by citizens. The media is required not only to cover the incident and action taken against the perpetrators but also to hold those in positions of power to account for the repeat occurrence of such acts of sexual violence. Such blanket bans are counterproductive and take away the media’s ability to play its role in creating public awareness and questioning those in positions of authority about the circumstances that permit such incidents to take place. The people’s right to access information and the media’s ability to provide it, particularly in incidents regarding citizens' physical safety and well-being, must not be restricted. PPF contacted PEMRA's Director of Operations, Broadcast Media, Umair Azim, who signed the order but refused to comment."

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

Pakistan Observer/PPF

Date of incident

8

Month

February

Year

2023

Name of affected person

No person was effected

Other affected persons

Not other person affected

Name of affected organization

All TV Channels

Other affected organizations

No other organization was affected

Action by

Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA).

City

Nationwide

Province

Nationwide

Designation

Media channels

Professional category

Media organistaion

Age of victim

Not applicable as PEMRA restricted TV channels.

Marital Status

Compensation 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 ?: Yes

Date of FIR:

FIR Details: FIR was not registered

Police station of FIR: FIR was not registered

Name of complainant: FIR was not registered

Name of accused in FIR: FIR was not registered

Court Details

Was case investigated ?: No

Court where case was presented: Case was not presented in court.

Name of prosecuting lawyer: Case was not presented in court.

Date of first court hearing:

Date of last court hearing:

Status of court case: Case was not presented in court.

Journalist Union Status

PFUJ

Not required to contact

APNS

N/A

CPNE

N/A

PBA

N/A

Media Source Status

Media reports:

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