Asma Jahangir asks SC to act against TV anchor

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: Outspoken human rights campaigner and former president of Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) Asma Jahangir has lashed out at a senior anchorperson  and his TV channel for a false claim about the existence of an international child porn ring in Kasur.

Ms Jahangir also called for the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) and the country’s electronic media watchdog to take a punitive action against the lying anchor.

Her demand came in the wake of Dr Shahid Masood’s false assertion that Imran Ali, the prime suspect of Zainab murder case, was found to be operating 37 local and foreign bank accounts.

Taking notice of Masood’s claim, Chief Justice Saqib Nisar directed the Punjab government to constitute an inquiry team and investigate the matter. The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) said that not a single bank account was found to be in Imran Ali’s name.

Separately, Punjab government’s spokesman Malik Ahmed Khan said that Dr Shahid Masood’s false claim was an attempt to divert the direction of the investigations. He said that a legal notice was sent to the anchor for his baseless scoop.

“PEMRA should take notice against anchor and TV for making false statements and before the Supreme Court as well They should penalise both,” Asma Jahangir said, in a series of tweets yesterday without naming any individual.

“This ring of journalists who deliberately lie should be unmasked so that we can give credibility to our otherwise robust and brave Journalists These lying so-called journalists protect each other and stand by each other Repeat each other’s lies to confuse people,” she said.

The rights activist stressed on the need to speak out against what she called a ring of lying scandal mongers masquerading as journalists. “We should expose rings who commit crimes against children.

Also let us raise our voices against a ring of lying scandal mongers masquerading as journalists”

“As a handful of anchors have invariably got away with concocted stories in a callous manner with impunity Competing with each other in lying to please their masters This time anchor went too far The anguish created was inhuman SC should take action on false statement before it.”

“We want free and independent media not a manipulative and misleading media with ulterior motives or a puppet media. “So disgusting to take advantage of a child’s gruesome murder Compulsive lies on the media by anchors should be discouraged Code of conduct by journalist bodies be made and media houses be fined for accommodating anchors who deliberately lie Where is media’s editor policy?”

“How disgusting that a tragedy like rape of a child be so politicised Anchors who are compulsive liars should be made accountable and Media houses who retain them be heavily fined so that free and responsible journalism flourishes Misleading and agonising people is not journalism,” she added.