PBC, Bilawal slate blocking three news channels

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Broadcasting Association (PBA) condemned move of Pakistan Electronic Media Regulator Authority (Pemra) on taking off air of its members channels, says a press release.

In a statement issued on Monday the PBA said that a complaint was lodged by three of its members Aab Tak, 24 News and Capital TV, saying that their channels had been taken off air from cable networks by Pemra without assigning a reason or giving them a hearing.

PBA demanded that Pemra should restore these channels immediately and follow its laid down rules in case there was any complaint against these channels or they had violated the code of conduct. By not giving them the right of hearing and unilaterally taking them off air was against all norms of justice and threatened freedom of expression, it added.

The statement further asked Pemra to follow its own laid down rules made to deal with situations where a channel had violated any law/code of conduct.

Our correspondent adds: Meanwhile, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also slammed the government for blocking the telecast of TV news channels. In his statement, the PPP chairman said that the government has now fully exposed its fascist designs. “The blocking of the telecast of some TV channels is the worst form of censorship that the selected government has applied,” he said.

Bilawal said that the PPP won't tolerate censorship on the media and that the party is standing shoulder to shoulder with the journalists’ community. He warned the rulers to remain in senses and immediately withdraw the government's steps of blocking the telecast of news channels.