Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra), the electronic media watchdog has banned the coverage of proscribed organisation including Lashkar-e-Tayyaba (LT), Jamat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF) completely. However under the pressure of the United Nations, the government placed JuD and FIF on it's watch list in December 2008 and March 2012 respectively.
As per a circular issued by Pemra on November 2, 2015 "ministry of foreign affairs and ministry of interior have banned all kind of coverage of banned Jumat-ud-Dawa, Lashkar-e-Tayyaba and Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation under the UN resolution 1267." The Pemra's notification said that JuD and FIF are the other names of banned LT.
The notification said that section 27 of Pemra Act "prohibits broadcasting or re-broadcasting any programme which is likely to create hatred amongst the people or prejudicial to the maintenance of law and order or is likely to disturb public peace." Likewise, referring to Clause 3 of Electronic Media Code of Conduct, the notification added, "The licensee shall ensure that no content is aired which is likely to incite, aide, abet, glamorise or justify violence, commission of any crime, terror or leads to serious public disorder besides being known to false and defamatory.
It further directed, "all satellite television channels / FM licensees are therefore strictly directed not to give any kind of coverage to any proscribed organisation including Jamat-ud-Dawa, Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation and Lashkar-e-Tayyaba. Moreover, any advertisement or fund collection by proscribed organisations in electronic media shall also constitute a breach of these obligations." The letter said that in case of non-compliance of its directives, the authority may impose fine, suspend or cancel the license of the television channel or FM radio.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2015

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