ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage Pervaiz Rashid on Tuesday told the Senate that there was a need to ensure implementation of rules and regulations in letter and spirit to check misleading advertisements in media.
Replying to a question of Senator Nuzhat Sadiq during the Question Hour session, the minister said that a legal framework was available to the government to check appearance of misleading advertisements in the print and electronic media.
He said the Indecent Advertisement Prohibition Act, 1963 and the PCP Ordinance 2002 provide specific and comprehensive provisions to check misleading advertisements in the print media. "However, no such matter relating to indecent advertisement in the print media has been agitated so far by any complainant and brought before the ministry for redressal," he said.
The minister said that the federal and provincial governments were empowered by law to issue necessary advisory as and when required. He said that the PEMRA Rules 2009 were comprehensive and categorical as far as checking of menace of misleading advertisements was concerned in electronic media. "The PEMRA code of conduct for advertisements prohibits all licensees from airing false and misleading advertisement," he said.
He said in order to gather public feedback on the broadcast media, PEMRA had established a 24/7 Complaints Call Centre i.e 0800-73672. He assured the House that PEMRA would be asked to take steps to create further awareness among people about the Complaints Call Centre. He said so far PEMRA had received very small number of complaints about TV advertisements. Whenever PEMRA receives a complaint it informs the ministry about it. Then necessary action is taken in this regard, he said.
The minister said that unfortunately some TV channels went to the courts against the actions and took stay orders. He said Pakistan Broadcasting Association had its own censor board which reviews the advertisements adding that the government believed in freedom of expression and was playing its role in this regard.
Pervaiz Rashid said that PTV had also its own censor board for clearance of advertisements for telecast on PTV. "The media experts and professionals strictly observe censor rules and regulations contained in the TV code of advertising standards and practices in Pakistan, issued by the government," he added.
"Besides, the advertisements are closely monitored to remove any content contradictory to normally accepted institution of marriage. Any vulgar song and dance or stolen strain of music is not allowed by PTV. Likewise, portrayal of women in derogatory, indecent and objectionable manner is also disallowed. Furthermore, in light of strict censor policy misleading advertisements are not run on PTV," he adde.
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