Amended draft prohibits airing of content which is likely to incite, aid, abet, glamorize or justify violence, commission of any crime, terror or leads to serious public disorder.
The government has finalised the draft of an amended code of conduct for the electronic media and it would be presented in parliament soon for legislation, Pakistan Today has learnt.
Well-placed sources in the government confided in Pakistan Today that the new draft of the code of conduct had been prepared by Law Secretary Barrister Zafarullah in view of the recommendations of the committee headed by special assistant to the prime minister, Irfan Siddiqui.
The sources said that the Ministry of Information has been directed to take onboard all the stakeholders and the draft legislation would be shared with the media bodies soon, the sources said, adding that the draft had been tweaked in close coordination with Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and PEMRA’s Acting Chairman Pervez Rathore.
Per the draft of the new code of conduct, no content would be aired by news channels which is likely to incite, aid, abet, glamorize or justify violence, commission of any crime, terror or leads to serious public disorder.
In contrast to the new proposed code, the code of conduct framed in year 2005 says that no programme shall be aired which promotes, aids or abets any offence which is cognizable under the applicable law.
Moreover, the new code states that no content would be aired which amounts to intimidation, blackmail or false incrimination of any person or is defamatory as defined in the prevalent laws would be accounted for and action would be taken against the licensee.
The clause falls under the head of fundamental principles which states that no content shall be aired which contains a call to arms against the Federation of Pakistan or anything against the integrity, security and defence of Pakistan.
“No material would be aired which contains aspersions against the judiciary or armed forces of Pakistan; or is against basic cultural values, morality and good manners; or is known to be false or there exist sufficient reasons to believe that the same may be false beyond a reasonable doubt.”
This would result in a ban on the electronic media not to broadcast live any anti-government protest or torture by police as was the case of the police attack on Tehreek Minhajul Quran and Pakistan Awami Tehreek workers in Model Town on Tuesday.
In order to prevent live coverage of army action against terrorists the way media aired footage during commando action against Karachi airport attackers, the draft law says that during any ongoing rescue or security operation, the licensee shall ensure that there is no live coverage of any ongoing security operation by the law enforcement agencies.
While the licensee shall not air head money or bounty other than announced by the competent authority; and the identity and number of victims shall not be revealed unless the same is warranted by the rescue or security agency in-charge of the operation.
Moreover, any content which passes derogatory remarks or contains aspersions against the judiciary or armed forces of Pakistan; or about any religion, sect, community or uses visuals or words contemptuous of religious sects and ethnic groups or which promotes communal and sectarian attitudes or disharmony would also not be allowed to be broadcast.
Any content containing anything indecent, obscene or pornographic would also not be allowed to broadcast that shall be deemed to be obscene if its effect is such as to tend to deprave and corrupt persons who are likely, having regard to all relevant circumstances, to read, see or hear the matter contained or embodied in it.
