Case Update Status

Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority has decided after the deadly terror attack on Karachi Police Office on Shahra e Faisal, and the decision is still there.

Summary of Case

"The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) Monday prohibited television news channels from covering terrorist attacks. PEMRA directives continued to the earlier directives, urging TV channels to adhere to the PEMRA’s Electronic Media Code of Conduct 2015. PEMRA bans TV coverage of terror attacks In a notification issued on February 21, 2023, the authority stated: “It has been observed with grave concern that despite repeated directives, satellite TV channels are unable to comply with provisions of Electronic Media Code of Conduct 2015 in letter and spirit.” According to The News, the regulatory body added that, amid a terror attack, news channels resort to marathon transmission ignoring basic journalistic norms and ethics only to “take the lead” and “credit” for breaking the news first. It added that the channels violate journalistic ethics by “airing live images of the crime scene.” PEMRA stated: “Satellite TV channels and their staff is ambivalent of not only their security but also create hurdles in rescue and combat operations.” The electronic media watchdog stated that information shared on news channels in such a situation is “unverified, speculative without consulting security agencies present on the spot”. The notification read that such reporting creates chaos among domestic and overseas viewers. PEMRA also mentioned that reporting such incidents benefits terrorists for “using media as a form of political advertising” and serves their ideological purposes by “publicising their campaign”. “Moreover, media coverage of such incidents also gives terrorists an organisational advantage by allowing a specific group to exhibit its strength and audaciousness compared with its rivals,” the watchdog directive stated. The orders have been issued at a time when Pakistan, for the past few months, has been gripped by a spate of terror attacks, with Karachi as its latest target after terrorists barged into its strictly-guarded police office located on one of its main arteries, Sharea Faisal last Friday during which four people including police and rangers’ personnel were martyred, and three terrorists were killed. The attack on the Karachi Police Office occurred a few weeks after the Peshawar police lines blast that claimed the lives of over 72 people and injured 150 on January 30. During his visit to meet the injured of the KPO attack two days ago in the metropolis, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir asserted that terrorists have “no religious or ideological moorings, but only misguided conceptions forced through coercion or inducement”. “Contrary to political and other distractions being faced by the public, the security forces remain singularly focused on counter-terrorism and intelligence-based operations, which are being conducted nationwide with pronounced success,” the army chief said. The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) Monday banned television news channels from covering terror attacks. The electronic media regulatory body’s directives came in continuation to the earlier orders on the subject, asking TV channels to adhere to the provisions of the PEMRA Electronic Media Code of Conduct 2015. In a notification issued today, the authority stated: “It has been observed with grave concern that despite repeated directives, satellite TV channels are unable to comply with provisions of Electronic Media Code of Conduct-2015 in letter and spirit.” Following unfortunate incidents such as explosions or attacks by “miscreants”, PEMRA — in the notification, added that channels resort to marathon transmission ignoring basic journalistic norms and ethics only to “take the lead” and “credit” of breaking the news first as well as “airing live images of the crime scene”. “Satellite TV channels and their staff is found ambivalent of not only their security but also create hurdles in rescue and combat operations,” PEMRA stated. The electronic media watchdog stated that information shared on news channels in such a situation is “unverified, speculative without consulting security agencies present on the spot”. “Such reporting hence creates panic and unwarranted chaos among the viewers not only in the country but also Pakistanis living abroad,” the notification read. PEMRA also mentioned that reporting such incidents benefits terrorists for “using media as a form of political advertising” and serves their ideological purposes by “publicising their campaign”. “Moreover, media coverage of such incidents also gives terrorists an organisational advantage by allowing a specific group to exhibit its strength and audaciousness compared with its rivals,” the watchdog directive stated. PEMRA’s orders have been issued at a time when Pakistan, for the past few months, has been gripped by a spate of terror attacks, with Karachi as its latest target after terrorists barged into its strictly-guarded police office located on one of its main arteries, Sharea Faisal — last Friday during which four people including police and rangers’ personnel were martyred, and three terrorists were killed. The attack on the Karachi Police Office took place a few weeks after the deadly Peshawar attack, which claimed the lives of over 72 people and injured 150 on January 30. During his visit to meet the injured of the KPO attack two days ago in the metropolis, the Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir asserted that terrorists have “no religious or ideological moorings, but only misguided conceptions forced through coercion or inducement”. “Contrary to political and other distractions being faced by the public, the security forces remain singularly focused on CT [counter-terrorism] and intelligence-based operations (IBOs), which are being conducted all over the country with pronounced success,” the army chief 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

The News

Date of incident

20

Month

February

Year

2023

Name of affected person

No person was affected

Other affected persons

Not other person affected

Name of affected organization

All media organizations

Other affected organizations

No other organization was affected

Action by

By Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA).

City

Nationwide

Province

Nationwide

Designation

Media Organization

Professional category

Not Applicable

Age of victim

Not applicable as PEMRA restricted the organizations from covering terror attacks.

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 ?: 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

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