ISLAMABAD: The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has appealed to the prime minister to allow the restoration of Bol News days after the popular cable television station was suspended ostensibly for operating with an expired licence.
The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) on Monday shut down transmission of Bol News, critical of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government, and its sister station Bol Entertainment for what it claimed was their failure to secure security clearance from the Ministry of Interior.
A meeting of the digital media watchdog was told it had also revoked the licences of the stations in 2017, recalling the matter had been pending before the Sindh High Court (SHC) until last year.
It noted the high court also settled the case in July 2021. The meeting was informed Bol News could not be allowed to operate until the Ministry of Interior, headed by a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) stalwart, issued a security clearance.
“Hence, the PEMRA reviewed all records, court orders, and notices from the interior ministry and subsequently decided to revoke licences issued to Labbaik (Pvt.) Ltd. (the stations’ holding company) with immediate effect.”
The watchdog noted the licence of Bol Entertainment expired in December 2021 and the company did not approach PEMRA for its renewal.
Expressing concern over the “restriction” on media freedom, the IFJ, the world’s federation of journalists’ trade unions, in a statement, urged the administration of Shehbaz Sharif to “protect the rights of all journalists and media workers and maintain freedom of expression and the press in accordance with Pakistan’s Constitution.”
#Pakistan🇵🇰: The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has blocked the transmission of BOL News and BOL Entertainment, revoking the broadcasting license of BOL’s parent company. @IFJGlobal https://t.co/uebLamEiIA
— IFJ Asia-Pacific (@ifjasiapacific) September 7, 2022
Free speech campaigners have criticised the creeping censorship and control of the nation’s internet, printed and electronic media by the current government.
“It is digital martial law,” Usama Khilji, a digital rights activist, told AFP.
Pakistan has a history of those in power using the police and courts to stifle their political opponents, and Sharif also has several pending cases from when he was in opposition.
— With AFP
