Journalists move SC to form media accountability commission

Two senior journalists on Thursday filed a petition in the Supreme Court, seeking the formation of an accountability commission for the media which would also form a code of conduct.
The petition prayed the Supreme Court to form a commission that would be responsible for inquiring about the source of income of TV channel owners, advertising agencies and anchorpersons.
Both applicants said in their application that after the case of Malik Riaz and Arslan Iftikhar came to the surface, a propaganda campaign was launched through SMSs as well as social media, in which baseless allegations were leveled against them that they were on payroll of Bahria Town’s Chief Executive Malik Riaz.
Moreover, a list was also issued showing some journalists’ names who took out of turn financial advantages from Riaz by using unfair means just to malign them.
They said in the application that access to the information was the basic right of everyone and for this, an independent media was imperative.
The code of conduct of PEMRA was insufficient to manage the media and run the cable operators, they said.
Both journalists requested the court either to hold inquiry itself or to constitute a commission on the matter. They also demanded Malik Riaz be instructed that he should appear in the court along with documentary evidence and the list of those civil and military bureaucracy members, journalists and politicians who got benefits from him or his organization Bahria Town directly or indirectly.
“The court should also instruct FBR to probe the assets and income of the media persons. In addition to this an impartial enquiry may be held for immersing the corruption of Rs 640 million in Anti Corruption Department Punjab,” they said.