ISLAMABAD, Feb 16: The Pakistan Muslim League (Q) got preferential treatment on Pakistan Television in December and January and the party has emerged as the leading advertiser on private channels in the lead-upto the general election, according to the Centre for Civic Education Pakistan.

The CCEP claimed that the PML-Q spent over Rs175million on 12,278 TV advertisements of 105-hour duration over the past two months– more than the combined time bought by all other political parties.

In a news briefing on Saturday, CCEP chief Zafarullah Khan said the PML-Q had shown a closing balance of Rs5.7 million in accounts statement for the outgoing year.

He said PTV was a public service broadcast, but the ECP did not lay down any code of conduct for it. The state-run television channel was rather handed over to the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority despite the fact that PTV did not fall under its purview.

Between Dec 1 and 26, the PML-Q got 57 minutes and 58 seconds on PTV. PPPP got 25 minutes and 52 seconds. PML-N remained third with 22 minutes and 37 seconds. The Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (F) got 13 minutes and 57 seconds, Muttahida Qaumi Movement got eight minutes and 54 seconds, PP-Sherpao seven minutes and 34 seconds, Jamaa’t-i-Islami (JI) six minutes and 44 seconds, Awami National Party two minutes and 50 seconds, Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf two minutes and seven seconds.

The MMA got six minutes and one second whereas APDM got five minutes and 41 seconds.

During the same time, the president got one hour 18 minutes and 38 eight seconds. The share of the caretaker prime minister was 52 minutes and 24 seconds. Among others the governors got 37 minutes and 33 seconds, caretaker chief ministers got 45 minutes and 37 seconds.

From Dec 27 to 31, the PTV coverage got a turn in the wake of Benazir Bhutto’s assassination. The PPP got one hour, 28 minutes and 46 seconds coverage, whereas the PML-Q got nine minutes and 37 seconds. The other political parties that figured in Khabarnama were PML-N 5 minutes and 54 seconds, PPP-Sherpao 45 seconds, JUI-F 24 seconds. However, the president and the caretaker prime ministers got 15 minutes and 14 minutes respectively.

During January, PML-Q got one hour, 14 minutes and 36 seconds. The PPPP got 32 minutes and 23 seconds. The PML-N remained third with 17 minutes and 22 seconds. The JUI-F got five minutes and 47 seconds, MQM got eight minutes and 31 seconds, PPP-Sherpao six minutes and 18 seconds, ANP two minutes and 41 seconds.

The APDM did not get any coverage on the PTV during January. During this month, the president got one hour 52 minutes and thirty seconds. The share of the caretaker prime minister was one hour and thirty eight minutes.

From Dec 11 to Feb 12, Rs244.75million was spent by all the political parties on buying 169 hours and total 17,058 advertisements.