RAWALPINDI: The National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) has reportedly asked the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting not to permit publication or airing of threats alerts issued by it, in order to evade the creation of any needless panic and fear among the general public.
According to reports, a letter has been issued by NACTA which states that such new, “causes not only panic among the public… but also compromises the response of law enforcement agencies”.
According to Nacta, this constitutes a violation of the Official Secrets Act, which is punishable with imprisonment.
“The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is requested to issue clear directions to the departments concerned, i.e. Pakistan Electronic Media Regulator Authority, Press Information Department etc. that in future no such material/information may either be printed or aired in the print or electronic media in the best interest of the state,” the letter reads.
An official privy to the matter told reporters that such news items, when circulated via electronic or social media, only created panic among the people and affected the working of law enforcement agencies.
“News related to threat alerts doesn’t serve the people and only creates insecurity; people avoid sending their children to school and going to their workplaces. This is what happened over recent days when such news items were aired,” he said.