ISLAMABAD – In an open disregard for Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority’s (PEMRA) ban on its anchor and show, Bol television continues to broadcast the banned anchor.
Aamir Liaquat who was banned for hate speech and threatening the life of activist and lawyer Jibran Nasir appeared on TV on Thursday night in defiance of Pemra orders.
Aamir Liaquat went ahead with his show, hurling abuse at Pemra and criticising its decision to take his show off the air. As a result, Bol TV was taken off-air in certain areas of the country, while the show was broadcast uninterrupted in other localities, according to Dawn News.
On Thursday, Nasir filed an FIR against TV anchor Aamir Liaquat Hussain and BOL TV network under the Anti-Terrorism Act for intimidating the public and spreading religious hatred.
“Amir Liaquat, the host of the programme named Aisay Nahi Chalay Ga shall not host any programme or appear in any manner, including but not limited to, as a guest, analyst, reporter, actor, in audio, video beeper, promo/advertisement on BOL News,” a Pemra notification read.
The notice further says “Amir Liaquat and his programme has been banned with immediate effect for preaching hate.”
Pemra has also sent its decision’s copies to PakSat and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) so the decision could be implemented completely and instructions have also been issued to all distribution networks and cable operators of the country.
Missing activists and social media campaign
Aamir Liaquat’s tirade against the activists and journalists began in the wake of protests and social media campaign against the alleged ‘enforced disappearances’ of social media activists. The anchor hurled baseless accusations against activists for being atheists, “infidels”, “anti-Islam”, “anti-Pakistan” and “RAW agents”.
A controversial cleric from Islamabad has also decried the Pemra decision.
In a statement, Lal Masjid’s Shuhada Foundation has said that the action by the Pemra was a move to please the enemies of Islam, the country and the armed forces, saying the decision had hurt the sentiments of Muslims, Dawn reported.
In a statement, the All Pakistan Newspapers Society expressed “profound concern over the incessant trend of unscrupulous outbursts of baseless allegations and hate mongering on a satellite channel against journalists, publishers and editors of newspapers”.
Woman’s Action Forum (WAF) on Thursday submitted an application to the chief justice of Pakistan Justice Saqib Nisar for the recovery of Salman Haider, Ahmed Waqas Goraya, Asim Saeed, Ahmed Raza Naseer and Samar Abbas.
The group in its petition stated that the Ministry of Interior, while denying any involvement in the abductions and saying it is investigating the disappearances, still has no knowledge of missing persons’ whereabouts. “No group has owned up to their abductions, which has led to the widespread belief that their disappearances are part of the rampant practice of enforced disappearances — the arbitrary policy in use by state agencies.”
It goes on to say that the recent abductions only point to the “larger, still unresolved and unaddressed practice of enforced disappearances of activists and citizens by the state.”
