ISLAMABAD -  Finance Minister Ishaq Dar has sent a Rs1 billion legal notice each on BOL News and Shahid Masood for airing and anchoring a malicious programme to defame him.

The federal minister has also lodged a complaint with the Pemra’s Council of Complaints, requesting the authority to take appropriate legal and necessary action against BOL News for broadcasting defamatory, false and fictitious account of facts against him.

Shahid Masood, a renowned TV presenter, hosted a programme on January 24 on BOL News channel and passed “conjecture, libellous and defamatory statements to damage Dar's personality and character”.

“He made a completely false statement hinting to an alleged meeting between the finance minister and Rawalpindi ("GHQ"), whereas, no such meeting had taken place at all. The story was utterly false and absolutely fictitious. The anchor's fabrication had the malicious intent to defame and disgrace the finance minister,” said the complainant.

In response to this “slanderous and defamatory” programme, the minister has decided to take a legal action against the anchor who, Dar says, is known for fabrication and foul mouthing as well as the TV channel for airing and re-airing the said broadcast.

The legal notice sent to the channel and the anchor under Section 8 of the Defamation Ordinance, 2002 has demanded to publish/broadcast a comprehensive and proper apology and retraction as well as payment of a sum of Rs1 billion as damages to Ishaq Dar on account of the defamatory broadcast; otherwise, civil and criminal proceedings will be initiated against the channel and the anchor.

PEMRA announces to pursue cases vigorously

The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) on Monday announced to pursue all pending cases in the courts vigorously by hiring “top lawyers”. The decision was taken at the 123rd meeting of the authority held under the chair of PEMRA Chairman Absar Alam, said a press release.

The meeting discussed issues pertaining to private TV channels. The PEMRA entrusted the chairman with the task to take appropriate measures for establishing the writ of the authority and advised him that in the case of any resistance from outside or from within the PEMRA in this regard, strict corrective measures must be taken.

The members emphasised that the PEMRA needs to ensure professionalism and should not shy away from taking difficult decisions to ensure the smooth functioning of the regulatory authority. The authority unanimously decided that in the case of any decision which has to be taken urgently by PEMRA to suspend transmission of a channel or any other important issue, a committee consisting of the PEMRA chairman, secretary interior, secretary information and one provincial member can take the decision without all members of the authority being present.

Regard a request of M/s Horizon Media (Pvt) Ltd, Karachi for the renewal of landing rights permission for a foreign satellite TV channel “Urdu 1”, the authority decided to grant one-year renewal to Urdu 1. The authority also approved to grant the landing rights permission to M/s One World Alliance (Pvt) Ltd, Karachi for a foreign satellite TV channel “Discovery Kids.”

It was also decided that the assistance package of the federal government for families of employees who die during service would be adopted for PEMRA employees as well and would be approved soon in consultation with legal experts.

The meeting was also attended by Secretary Interior Arif Ahmed Khan, Secretary Information Saba Mohsin,  Chairman FBR Dr Mohammad Irshad, Chairman PTA Dr Ismail Shah, Member Punjab  Nargis Nasir and Member KP Shaheen Habibullah.