• Info secy terms ‘perceived blackout’ of opposition speeches in parliament ‘technical glitch’
• Barrister Ali Zafar calls for transparency on the matter
• PTI senator accuses govt of spreading ‘fake news’, asks why Imran’s statements, images and name cannot be broadcast

ISLAMABAD: A Senate panel on Friday raised alarm over the government’s censorship policy, with a senior official of the information ministry suggesting that the perceived censor of opposition lawmakers might be ‘a technical glitch’.

Barrister Ali Zafar, while presiding over the meeting of Senate’s standing committee on information and broadcasting, regretted the blackout of opposition speeches in parliament on state-run television.

Information Secretary Ambreen Jan, who is also PTV managing director, said it might be ‘a technical glitch’.

The committee chairman directed for ensuring that such technical issues do not arise again. Zafar, who is also PTI parliamentary leader in Senate, also stressed during the meeting that transparency was crucial for ensuring media freedom in Pakistan. He invited all media houses to attend the next committee meeting to clarify reasons behind the ‘censorship of political content’, particularly statements of or about Imran Khan.

He argued that media must not be subjected to arbitrary censorship, especially when it involved speeches from political leaders representing a significant portion of the electorate. His statement also shed light on the growing concern that Pakistan Electronic Media Authority’s (Pemra’s) role as the regulatory authority was being undermined by external influences.

“If Pemra is not responsible for the censorship, it must provide clear and verifiable information regarding who is behind the restrictions,” he said.

He noted that lack of clarity on this matter only fuelled suspicions about real motive for blocking of certain political content. “People deserve to know why certain political figures’ voices like Imran Khan are being silenced,” he said.

He said the controversy surrounding the blocking of speeches had far-reaching implications for media freedom in Pakistan. The blocking of opposition speeches, whether on private media channels or state-owned outlets like PTV, raises fundamental questions about the state’s commitment to democratic principles, particularly freedom of speech, according to the senator.

Barrister Zafar suggested a transparent, open dialogue between media houses and Pemra to address the growing concerns over media censorship. He said media houses must be allowed to operate without fear of censorship, and opposition leaders should have the opportunity to express their views freely.

Senator Aon Abbas Buppi sought to know if Pemra chairman had issued any written order banning the broadcast of Mr Khan’s statements or images on media. “Would the chairman of Pemra like to explain why Imran Khan’s name cannot be mentioned on media?” he asked.

He suggested that representatives of all media houses and Pemra chairman should be summoned so that a decision can be made in the presence of both parties as to why Mr Khan’s statements, images, and name cannot be broadcast.

He accused the government of spreading fake news. “The statistics being presented regarding the reduction of inflation fall in the category of fake news. The rate of inflation has slowed down, but inflation itself has not decreased,” he insisted.

At the outset of the meeting, the committee was briefed by Director General Operations Broadcast/Media, Muhammad Tahir, about the overall functions, operations and the performance of the Pemra since its inception.

The committee was informed that Pemra under the Act had been mandated to facilitate and regulate electronic media. The DG also apprised the committee about the organisational structure of the authority, composition of its board and council of complaints.

Director General (Licensing–Broadcast) Wakeel Khan informed the committee about the issuance of licences for broadcast and distribution services.

The authority has so far issued 142 licences for satellite TV channels, including 37 for news and current affairs, while 235 FM radio licences have been issued, including 175 commercial and 60 non-commercial, he added.

The committee sought a report within 10 days regarding the payment of pensions to pensioners of Radio Pakistan and PTV. The meeting besides others was also was attended by Information and Broadcasting secretary Ambreen Jan, Pemra chairman Muham­mad Saleem Baig, DG (IP) Ashique Hussain, members of the committee, Senator Pervaiz Rashid, Senator Jan Muhammad and Senator Sarmad Ali.

Published in Dawn, January 4th, 2025