Restore Geo to original numbers,Pemra orders 11 cable operators

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) on Friday issued show cause notices to 11 cable operators and ordered them to restore Geo News to its original numbers and sought the assistance of the federal government and local law-enforcement agencies to act against those cable operators resorting to illegal disruption of Geo News in Karachi.

The move by the regulatory body follows the latest attack on media freedom in the country, after the leading news channel was made inaccessible for the people in the provincial capital last night by moving it to the last numbers, making it totally unattainable in many areas of the metropolis.

According to a press release issued by the Pemra, the authority’s Chairman Absar Alam has invoked Section 33-A of the Pemra Ordinance 2002, seeking “immediate assistance from federal government to take action against the Pemra law violators in Karachi”.

“The Pemra has requested the federal government to direct law enforcement agencies (Sindh Rangers, Sindh Police, intelligence agencies) and provincial government staff to provide immediate assistance to Pemra to discharge its functions,” said the release.

The statement said that the Pemra chairman had written a letter to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif asking him to “instruct Sindh Rangers, Sindh Police, intelligence agencies and provincial government to assist Pemra in an action being initiated against those cable operators who had resorted to illegal disruption of Geo News.

“It has also been requested to the prime minister, through this letter, to direct the law enforcement agencies to assist Pemra to bring to justice those unidentified persons coercing cable operators, who are Pemra licence holders as well, into unlawful actions,” it said.

Pemra said it had also ordered 11 cable operators, namely Home Vision, City/GIA, New DIGI, Tracks, KCS, Global Cable, Karachi Cable, Skyline, Show Time, Universal Production, and Sky Multi Services, to immediately restore Geo News to the position at which it was being relayed on July 28.

“The Pemra teams will inspect the cable operators on their premises if they have complied with Pemra orders or not,” it said.

“These cable operators have also been directed to show cause, as to why they violated provisions of the Licence Term& Conditions and Distribution Service Regulation 2011. Non-compliance of Pemra order to restore Geo News at its previous position shall be treated as a separate offence, cognizable under Section 29 & 30 of the Pemra Ordinance.

"According to law, the authority has exclusive jurisdiction to issue, suspend or revoke any broadcast or distribution service licence and implement Pemra laws and terms & conditions of the licence.

"Needless to remind all licencees that Pemra is determined to establish its writ. Any unlawful efforts by a group or individual to encroach upon its authority, will be dealt with strictly according to law," it noted.

Meanwhile, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Pervaiz Rashid took notice of placing Geo News on last numbers on cable networks in Karachi and said that scaling down any news channel from its original position was tantamount to bar people's access to right of information and denying them to watch a broadcast of their own choice.

The information minister said the government believed in freedom of expression as it considered that free speech and freedom of opinion were inseparable for a democratic society. The information minister directed Pemra to take cognizance of the matter on immediate basis.