Akram Sheikh’s complaint sent to CoC: Pemra

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) has forwarded complaints filed separately by Advocate Supreme Court of Pakistan, Mohammad Akram Sheikh and anchorperson Esshal Ali (Afshan Butt) against some TV channels to the Council of Complaint (CoC) Lahore for hearing. 

Advocate Akram Sheikh has complained that the TV channels News One, ARY News, Channel 24 and Channel-92 unleashed a malicious and defamatory campaign against his recent visit to Riyadh.

News One’s anchorperson Dr Shahid Masood played a central role in that negative campaign, the complainant said, according to a Pemra statement. The complainant states that the above-mentioned TV channels in order to sensationalize news for their own personal agenda distorted the facts about his alleged participation in the summit. By doing so they also misinterpreted his professional status to the SaudiGovernment/Organizers of the Summit. 

According to the complainant Dr Shahid Masood, Maria Memon and Chaudhry Ghulam Hussain hurled baseless allegations and participated in the malicious campaign against him in programmes on their channels.

In his complaint anchorperson Esshal Ali (Afshan Butt) against Channel 24/City 42 accused the TV channels of treating her unfairly, violating the written contract and unlawfully withholding her salary despite signing the contract with her.

Unfortunately, many journalists and TV anchors are complaining against TV channels for exploiting the rights of the working journalists. Both the cases have been referred to the Lahore Council of Complaints for hearing in its upcoming meeting.