Channels not issued notices on covering funeral: Pemra

Spokesman hopes in future PFUJ will first verify fact instead of issuing statements

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) Friday rebutted a statement of Pakistan Federal Union of journalists (PFUJ) about issuance of notices to various news channels for covering the funeral of Mumtaz Qadri.

A section of the press has carried a statement of PFUJ in which it was demanded that Pemra should withdraw notices issued for coverage of the funeral, Pemra claimed in a press release issued here.

The Pemra spokesman said it had not issued any notice so there was no question of withdrawing it. He hoped that in future the highest body of journalists in Pakistan would first verify fact instead of issuing statements on such sensitive a matter.

For the sake of correction of record, it is clarified that the Pemra never banned coverage of the said funeral, he said, adding that the authority only asked the channels to follow the code of conduct and avoid telecast of such programmes which can spread sectarianism and create unnecessary sensationalism and chaos.