PEMRA bans “Off The Record” on ARY News for 60 days

ISLAMABAD: PEMRA bans the programme “Off The Record” on ARY News for 60 days following the Faisal Vawda incident on January 14, 2020.

The programme ‘Off The Record” is hosted by Mr Kashif Abbasi. The show aired on ARY News on 14 January had Mr Faisal Vawda, Mr Kamar Zaman Kaira and Mr Javed Abbassi as the panelists.

Faisal Vawda, the Federal Minister for Water Resources came on the talk show to represent his party The Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI). In the middle of the show, he took out army boot and placed on the table which the minister had apparently brought along him.

Responding to a question on Nawaz Sharif’s health Faisal Vawda said: “shameless people stoop to any level.”

He said:

You [the PML-N] should have given it respect earlier like we have been doing,

You are talking against them (armed forces’ personnel) even when they embraced martyrdom. Today, when it comes to their loot and plunder Maryam Nawaz and Nawaz Sharif should hold this [the boot] and tell the people that we will respect the boot and do everything .

READ MORE: PTI Minister Faisal Vawda uses army boot to mock opposition

Since he pulled out the stunts, Faisal Vawda is being ridiculed and the host Kashif Abbasi is being blamed for allowing the minister to bring the boot on the set.

Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority, Islamabad (PEMRA) has gone on to ban the programme “Off The Record” on ARY News for 60 days.

The PEMRA issued a notice on 15 January and called the act of Mr Faisal Vawda very unethical act and the arguments made by Mr Vawda were not only extremely frivolous and derogatory but also an attempt to debase a state institution.

Criticising the role of the programme host Mr Kashif Abbasi, PEMRA said his role was quite unprofessional who actually did not intervene or stopped that unethical act performed by Faisal Vawda. The PEMRA notice also stated the host rather took the entire incident casually and kept smiling/cherishing such occurrence.

The act of Mr Kashif Abbasi has been stated as a violation of clause 3(I)(e,j), 4(7)(b), 4(10), 5, 13 and 17 of electronic Media (Programme and Advertisement) Code of Conduct, 2015, read with section 27(a) of PEMRA Ordinance 2002 as amended by PEMRA (Amendment) Act 2007.

Under this act,

• PEMRA has prohibited the programme “Off The Record” for 60 days starting from January 16, 2020.
• The appearance of host Mr Kashif Abbasi is also banned for 60 days.
• Mr Kashif Abbasi will not be able to conduct the show “Off The Record.”
• Mr Kashif will not be able to appear on “ARY NEWS”
• Mr Kashif is also prohibited from appearing on any other television channel as a guest/analyst or expert.

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