PPP moves Pemra against TV channels for ‘misreporting’

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) asked Pemra to take immediate stern action against a private TV channels for broadcasting fabricated and false news reports on the questions asked by the FIA

Secretary General PPP Parliamentarians Farhatullah Babar wrote a letter addressed to the Chairman Pemra drawing his attention to the news reports which were factually wrong and fictitious.

The letter reads, Former President of Pakistan and President Pakistan People’s Party parliamentarians Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur MPA appeared before the FIA investigation team in their office in G-13 Islamabad today (August 27, 2018). During their appearance and soon thereafter, a TV channel aired what it claimed were the questions asked by the FIA and the replies given by Asif Ali Zardari and Faryal Talpur.”

The letter further reads, “The channel has aired an imaginary and totally wrong report. It is not correct that Asif Zardari was asked some questions about the Zardari Group of Companies.

At the outset the investigators were emphatically told that Zardari had nothing to do with the Zardari Group of Companies since becoming President of Pakistan in 2008. Any illegality having taken place at any point of time in the affairs of the Company was also denied. As a matter of fact in the FIR, Zardari and Talpur are witnesses and not the accused.”

The letter also reads, “It is also wrong to say that both Asif Ali Zardari and Faryal Talpur were handed over questionnaires. No such questionnaires were given to them today. Even Senator Farooq Naek who is the focal person for Zardari and Faryal Talpur in the matter of investigation of the case has not been given any questionnaire.”

Farhatullah Babar further wrote that the airing of a totally false and misleading report about the appearance today has militated against Asif Ali Zardari and Faryal Talpur. “The report has also created serious misperception about them, vitiated public opinion and amounts to blatant media trial. It is also against the observations of Honorable Supreme Court that no such reports about investigation process be aired or published,” he stated in a letter.

While addressing a press conference at Zardari House, President PPP Central Punjab Qamar Zaman Kaira dispelled rumors that FIA has handed over a questionnaire to party’s co-chairman. He said the PPP has written a letter to Pemra to take notice over the false and contrary to facts reporting of the private channel as no questioner was given to Asif Ali Zardari. “We also demand from the FIA to fulfill its responsibility with clarification on so-called questionnaire,” he said.

He said the PPP has never been harsh on media but it was a matter of character assassination. Kaira said Zardari has no connection with Zardari Group since 2008 and he detached himself from the administrational and financial issues of the Zardari Group after his election as country’s president, he said.

Kaira said Zardari and Faryal Talpur are witness in FIR, not accused. “This is also misleading report that FIA officials asked questions about bank transactions. Despite requests by their lawyer, no question was asked by FIA team,” he said.