The Pakistan Electronic Media Regularity Authority (PEMRA) has taken notice of complaints against Neo TV and Channel 92 for airing “provocative” content against the Ahmadi community. The president of the Anjuman Ahmedia Pakistan registered a complaint with the media watchdog against the two channels alongside “a large number of complaints from the general public” against content aired by Neo TV’s Harf-e-Raz and Channel 92’s Subha-e-Noor shows. The complaints termed the content aired in the shows as “provocative against a minority whose members are already threatened, harassed and have suffered a number of terrorist attacks in the past.” The complainants have also mentioned that such programming serves no national interest, and is rather an incitement to violence against minorities, which is in violation of the National Action Plan and PEMRA laws. PEMRA forwarded the complaint to the Council of Complaints in Lahore for further action, adding that complainants had requested the regulator to take action against content “promoting disharmony among people.”

This is perhaps not the first time that a channel has aired hate speech targeting a minority, media regulators have stayed indifferent to any such content being broadcast over the years. But in recent years, some arbitrary actions have been witnessed on its part. The recent and most controversial of these was the ban on Hamza Ali Abbasi for discussing an issue whose mere mention in the public discourse has been made taboo. Abbasi was immediately banned from his show for merely discussing the fundamental rights of the Ahmedi community, while the tirade of people like Orya Maqbool Jan against Ahmedis was broadcast without any interference from any media watchdog. The notice was taken only after that particular issue garnered outrage on social media platforms.

One of the 20 points of the National Action Plan says: “There will be a crackdown on hate-speech, and action will be taken against newspapers and magazines contributing to the spread of such speech.” While both civilian and military leadership have been reiterating the need to implement the National Action Plan in its true sense, such lapses on the part of authorities do not bode well for communal harmony in Pakistan.

In a country that has been torn by sectarianism and violence, hate speech is the last thing to be tolerated in mainstream media. It is not just the inaction of the regulatory authority, continuous demonising of the Ahmedi community and inability on the part of most people to discuss the issue as part of a healthy and enlightened public discourse have made the majority of the country immune to any gross actions committed by a TV channel.

While the move on the part of PEMRA is appreciable, it should be more vigilant and should provide justice to the grieved without any political or any other influence.

Live and let live. *