ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the federal government and Pemra to file reply on number of radio channels and production houses run by army’s media wing – Inter Services Public Relation.
Human rights activist Asma Jehangir informed a two-judge bench, headed by Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan, that in pursuance of court’s June 15 order she had submitted a Civil Miscellaneous Application regarding her claim about a number of radio channels being run by the ISPR.
Asma, representing petitioner Rashid Rehman, argued that in Pakistan there are three power centres which control media and other information that is communicated to the public at large.
The first is the government controlled media and the information department is pivotal in regulating and controlling this part of country’s media. The second power centre is the private sector, which is regulated by the Pemra. Pemra is the overall body that regulates these two media power centres. Third centre is the ISPR, which in fact is immune from all regulations.
She told that the ISPR was running two FM Radio using frequency FM 89.04 and FM 96.00 which have an outreach of more than 56 cities, adding the ISPR is also running a huge media cell, and social media unit, which uses its influence in defaming individuals. She further informed that the ISPR also has production houses where films and dramas are made.
Asma alleged that the Pemra has failed to regulate these FM radio stations, as it has not granted them licences. She told that according to her information, ISPR approached Pemra on June 18, 2010 with a request of allocating FM 96 radio network to it, which they are still operating without going through the legal procedure and regulations.
Justice Gulzar Ahmed asked from Asma what objections she had regarding the running of these radio stations by ISPR. She replied that this is a matter of public money as the huge public funds are being misused.
Asma alleged that there is no account and no information as to the amount of public resources allocated to the media cell of ISPR and how it was being used to propagate information that should be objective and credible.
Earlier, Pemra Chairman Absar Alam informed that none of the TV channels allocated 10 per cent time out of their total transmission time for public messages. He informed that channel C-4 has allocated 42.4 minutes, ARY 42 minutes, Waqt TV 96 minutes, Dawn TV 73 minutes, and Sindh TV 67.7 for public messages.
Additional Attorney General Amir Rehman sought more time as he could not submit reply on the applications of Press Association of Supreme Court and senior journalists Shakeel Turabi and Yasin Azad.
Hamir Mir, an anchorperson of Geo TV, told that many issues of his petition, including appointment of Pemra chairman, setting up of commission on media and code of ethics had been solved yet there are others that still remained unresolved. The case was adjourned for indefinite period.