NA speaker moves Pemra against channels for calling MPs traitors

ISLAMABAD: In an unprecedented move, Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq has filed a complaint in the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) against TV channels, anchor persons and analysts for levelling wild allegations against parliamentarians and even declaring them traitors.

In a complaint to Pemra Chairman Absar Alam, the speaker said that he should take action against owners of those TV channels, anchor persons and analysts as per the authority’s law and intimate the Parliament about the action on this count.

He reminded the Pemra chairman that the members of Parliament took oath under the Constitution for defence of Pakistan and national security, whereas TV channels declared them traitors or anchor persons got them declared so by analysts, which was not only in total negation of the Constitution but it was also breach of the Parliament and its members.

Ayaz Sadiq contended that no one had the right to resort to such wild allegations on elected representatives of people. He sought action against all such TV channels, anchor persons and analysts and asked the Pemra chairman that the House should he informed on the action taken against them. 

Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq during debate on tragic Quetta incident on Tuesday remarked that atomic bomb attacks on two cities of Japan occurred also during the month of August in 1945 were not less than terrorism.

Ayaz Sadiq observed that the August 6 and August 9 from historic point of view are important. He said on August 6, 1945 America dropped atomic bomb on Hiroshima and the same act was repeated in Nagasaki on August 9.

He said in Hiroshima 146,000 people were died while in Nagasaki over 80,000 people lost their lives. “These incidents were not less than terrorism and it was state terrorism,” he said.

Meanwhile, the JUI-F parliamentarian Muhammad Akram Khan Durrani while speaking on floor of the House said some television channels were trying to pit army and politicians against each other. “ We are proud of our army while the president and prime minister are heads of the state,” he said.

He regretted that an anchorperson of a television channel called Mehmood Khan Achakzai as traitors while others dubbed Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Asma Jahangir as traitors.

“Who give anchorpersons such an authority and they should be called to the Parliament and be asked to provide evidence of allegations,” he said.

The NA Speaker said that the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) should take action on such complaints.