The Ministry of Religious Affairs on Tuesday wrote a letter to the Information Ministry and Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), asking them to bar TV channels from airing programmes and content which insults any specific religion or sect.
“The ministry has received complaints regarding the TV programmes carrying derogatory material about certain religions, sects and their followers,” Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Yousaf told media on Tuesday.
“Reacting to the complaints, this ministry has taken up the matter with the Ministry of Information and PEMRA, and we have written letters to both,” Yousuf said, adding that “media houses must practice extreme care regarding their transmissions and should avoid airing controversial material and programmes regarding any religion, faith, sect and their followers.”
Yousaf said that Ministry of Religious Affairs has constituted a National Ulema and Mashaikh Council for drafting a code of conduct for interfaith harmony in the country.
“The council will provide guidelines for interfaith harmony and the government will then implement those,” the minister said.
“No one has the right to hurt the sentiments of followers of any religion or sect,” Yousaf said.
He added “PEMRA is asked to take strict action against the TV channels which show carelessness in this regard”.
“Council will consult PEMRA and will also prepare guidelines for the authority in a bid to stop the airing of programmes which are immoral and target any specific religion or its followers.”
