Media Blackout in Islamabad On Govt. Orders

PEMRA (Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority) warned the private news channels on Saturday forbidding the live coverage of the Faizabad sit-in making the statement under the Electronic Media Code of Conduct 2015 that the live coverage of any security operation is forbidden.

Later on Saturday a statement was released stating that the TV channels are suggested to display maximum sensitivity relating the matter and to restrict themselves from on-airing the live coverage.

Earlier this morning a crackdown against Faizabad protestors was launched personally by the Islamabad police and Frontier Constabulary Islamabad.

PEMRA officials while conversing with a local newspaper mentioned that Shahid Khaqan Abbasi—Prime Minister has ordered PEMRA to suspend the transmission of all the private news channels. He gave this direction on the recommendation of Islamabad administration.

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PEMRA took this decision after the private channels intervened in the operation and started giving live coverage to it, which created difficulties in carrying out the operation as planned.

The government had been trying to negotiate with the protestors to reach some mutual consent but all the efforts did not bring out any satisfactory outcomes, hence the operation was launched.

The on-going protest was making the routine lives of the general public a trauma, as people were facing serious issues relating reaching on time to their desired destinations may they be offices or schools or back home. Businesses were also suffering severely disrupting the economy. The overall city situation was chaotic.

Private Channels went off-air in Islamabad and other cities after the rumors that a temporary ban has been imposed on them.

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