Pemra chief demands security from PM, Army chief after life threatening calls

ISLAMABAD - Absar Alam, the head of Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra), has appealed to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Chief Justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar to expedite the judicial process that has seen 333 out of 357 Pemra notices challenged and stalled in the courts.

The Pemra chairman, at a press conference in Islamabad on Monday, also sought help from Army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa as the employees of Pemra, including himself,  have been receiving life threats from unidentified people.

“It’s becoming increasingly difficult for Pemra to continue performing its duties in these conditions. I request the prime minister, the chief justice of Pakistan, and the army chief to take notice of this situation and ensure that my team members and I are provided with adequate security,” he added.

Last week, the top electronic media watchdog had revoked the license of Bol TV over lack of security clearance for its directors.

"We can't even enforce the code of conduct that we have in place," said Alam, referring to the difficulties he claimed Pemra faced in taking the notices to their logical end.