Channel offers apology to Rehman Malik for hurling insults

ISLAMABAD: Hearing at Pemra was held into the complaints filed by President Mamnoon Hussain, Chairman of the National Assembly’s Foreign Relations Committee Sardar Owais Leghari, former interior minister and Chairman of the Senate’s interior committee Senator Rehman Malik, and father of the Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai.

According to details, the session of Pemra’s Islamabad Council of Complaints under the leadership of Chairperson Shamim Humayun was held at the Pemra Headquarters here.

During the hearing into the complaint of Senator Abdul Rehman Malik against Channel-24, the channel apologized to Senator Abdul Rehman Malik for insulting him in its programme “Meray Aziz Humwatno”.

The council ordered the channel to issue a warning and to telecast the apology during its prime time transmission. Meanwhile, the council adjourned hearing in Senator Abdul Rehman Malik’s complaint against Geo TV while asking the senator to submit his stance on the response filed by Geo TV.

Upon the request of ARY News, the council also adjourned hearing till the council’s next session in the complaint filed by Ziauddin Yousufzai, father of Malala Yousufzai, against ARY and Sach TV.

Also upon the request of ARY News, the council adjourned hearing in Federal Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and Minister of State for Health Saira Afzal Tarar’s complaints against ARY News and other channels for having telecast false allegations.

Hearing in the complaint lodged by President Mamnoon Hussain against ARY and Dawn TV for having telecast a concocted news story was adjourned till the council’s next session on account of the absence of the lawyer of ARY News.

Hearing was held in the complaint lodged by the Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee of the National Assembly, Sardar Owais Leghari, against Samaa TV in which the council asked the complainant to express his stance on the response filed by the channel in question.

While hearing the complaint lodged by the rector of Comsats Institute of Information Technology against Aaj TV, the council instructed the complainant to file a specific complaint.

The session was attended by the following members of the council: Nuzhat Fatima, Prof Dr Maqsood Jafri, Dr Shahjehan Syed, Haroon Rashid and Mohammad Farooq (RGM/secretary council).