PEMRA fails in everything else but corruption
SAEED MINHAS
ISLAMABAD: Open violation of its own rules and regulations, harassment
of cable operators and obliging the big wigs associated with the
presidency seems to have become the order of the day at Pakistan
Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) these days. Investigations
into the affairs of the regulatory authority, meant to streamline
private TV and radio stations in the country, reveals that other than
violating their mandated rules and regulations, the authority is busy in
pleasing the ousted rulers while ensuring that new one does not get a
smooth sailing in the media. Informed sources confirmed that besides
obliging former interior minister Rehman Malik with an illegal TV
license and shifting the monopoly of cable operations in Lahore and
Islamabad from the Salman Taseer family-operated World Call to an in-
form media house with established links to the Presidency (Lakhanis),
PEMRA is leaving no stone unturned to not only make big bucks in this
process but more importantly doing it in the name of the Nawaz
government which is yet to settle down in Islamabad. In the same go a
news license has also been issued to a channel which was supposed to be a
drama channel, informed the sources. Under this new shock and awe
policy unleashed by a newly inducted coterie of officials led by DG
Operations Rana Tahir, a leading private channel has been given another
license for airing their fifth outlet, whereas PEMRA rules do not allow
more than four channels to any single media group. “It’s like a smack in
the face of
transparency and even competition commission,” commented a senior official of PEMRA. Rana Tahir, who darted in recently from Lahore to set up this cell in PEMRA has made sure that none of the applications coming via the presidency get delayed while any other request is thoroughly subjected to inquiries and ultimately, the bargains. The case cited as prime example was that of DM TV, which is owned by Rehman Malik. This TV was given landing rights for Pakistan within record time. Under the PEMRA rules all those TV channels who receive landing rights have no authority to do up-linking from within Pakistan. Despite knowing that DMTV is up- linking from Karachi and Lahore, PEMRA officials have been instructed by the chairman and DG operations to simply ignore this. “We have pointed this issue to our top management, but the orders have been that find someone else and leave this out,” commented a PEMRA official working in the field. The story does not end here because besides playing with rules and regulations, this special team with a mission, as they are known within the new glassed tower of PEMRA offices, the cable association has been given a valid reason to revolt against the Nawaz government by forcibly dividing them on provincial lines. The Rana Tahir supervised ”Divide CAB” operation has finally resulted in pitching the central Punjab and KP operators against Karachi based Sindhi, Quetta based Baloch and Multan based Seraiki operators. An apparently united cable association was divided very swiftly by arranging and funding a convention of cable operators by PEMRA officials in
Lahore. The ousted chairman of CAB, Khaled Arayan was on record having said that “PEMRA officials were intimidating and harassing cable operators to support their newly nominated officials in the Lahore convention to oust the existing ones.” Babrak Khan from Baluchistan Cable Operators Association was also on record that “operators hailing from Baluchistan, Karachi, Sind and even South Punjab were forcibly kept out of the convention by using police force.”
How this harassment is being inflicted upon cable operators from the PEMRA head office in Islamabad is another interesting episode to look at. Many of the cable operators were not allowed to enter the convention because they refused to side with a PEMRA sponsored nominees in Lahore held in the last week of April this year are either getting notices of termination of their cable licenses or heavy fines. Those who can afford to bargain with the special envoys of Rana
Tahir and his bosses are being let off the hook while those who cannot afford to fulfill the huge demands of this coterie are being suspended and thrown out of business. The facts were verified from almost a dozen cable operators, who were stopped from attending the Lahore convention, as they showed notices they have received from DG Operations in the past few weeks. They included even those who have got favourable orders from none other than the Supreme Court of
Pakistan asking PEMRA to avoid a one sided witch hunt of cable operators. Many of these operators refused to be named fearing repercussions. On condition of anonymity some of them told that “when you are asked that Rana Tahir is from Punjab and has close connections with Nawaz League, how can we dare to come out in the open against such people who are openly demanding millions in the name of PML (N) government.” Rana Tahir was not available for his comments despite several attempts but officials working under him brushed these allegations aside saying that PEMRA is just trying to tame these cable operators who do not want to be governed by anyone. Chaudhry Rashid was not available for any comments in this regard. Many in PEMRA strongly believe that Nawaz government has got nothing to do with these malpractices and open violations going on in PEMRA. They said that newly inducted chairman is already facing at least five litigations in various courts challenging his appointment while Rana Tahir in his previous stint with PEMRA is known for under the table bargains. Therefore, they believe that it’s more about personal interests and money than the backing of Nawaz government which has made this coterie completely blind. Prime Minister of Pakistan Mian Nawaz Sharif in his first speech had categorically stated that his government would not tolerate nepotism and corruption and many inside and outside PEMRA are now considering this regulatory authority as the first test case for the new government to prove its claims of transparency and good governance.
transparency and even competition commission,” commented a senior official of PEMRA. Rana Tahir, who darted in recently from Lahore to set up this cell in PEMRA has made sure that none of the applications coming via the presidency get delayed while any other request is thoroughly subjected to inquiries and ultimately, the bargains. The case cited as prime example was that of DM TV, which is owned by Rehman Malik. This TV was given landing rights for Pakistan within record time. Under the PEMRA rules all those TV channels who receive landing rights have no authority to do up-linking from within Pakistan. Despite knowing that DMTV is up- linking from Karachi and Lahore, PEMRA officials have been instructed by the chairman and DG operations to simply ignore this. “We have pointed this issue to our top management, but the orders have been that find someone else and leave this out,” commented a PEMRA official working in the field. The story does not end here because besides playing with rules and regulations, this special team with a mission, as they are known within the new glassed tower of PEMRA offices, the cable association has been given a valid reason to revolt against the Nawaz government by forcibly dividing them on provincial lines. The Rana Tahir supervised ”Divide CAB” operation has finally resulted in pitching the central Punjab and KP operators against Karachi based Sindhi, Quetta based Baloch and Multan based Seraiki operators. An apparently united cable association was divided very swiftly by arranging and funding a convention of cable operators by PEMRA officials in
Lahore. The ousted chairman of CAB, Khaled Arayan was on record having said that “PEMRA officials were intimidating and harassing cable operators to support their newly nominated officials in the Lahore convention to oust the existing ones.” Babrak Khan from Baluchistan Cable Operators Association was also on record that “operators hailing from Baluchistan, Karachi, Sind and even South Punjab were forcibly kept out of the convention by using police force.”
How this harassment is being inflicted upon cable operators from the PEMRA head office in Islamabad is another interesting episode to look at. Many of the cable operators were not allowed to enter the convention because they refused to side with a PEMRA sponsored nominees in Lahore held in the last week of April this year are either getting notices of termination of their cable licenses or heavy fines. Those who can afford to bargain with the special envoys of Rana
Tahir and his bosses are being let off the hook while those who cannot afford to fulfill the huge demands of this coterie are being suspended and thrown out of business. The facts were verified from almost a dozen cable operators, who were stopped from attending the Lahore convention, as they showed notices they have received from DG Operations in the past few weeks. They included even those who have got favourable orders from none other than the Supreme Court of
Pakistan asking PEMRA to avoid a one sided witch hunt of cable operators. Many of these operators refused to be named fearing repercussions. On condition of anonymity some of them told that “when you are asked that Rana Tahir is from Punjab and has close connections with Nawaz League, how can we dare to come out in the open against such people who are openly demanding millions in the name of PML (N) government.” Rana Tahir was not available for his comments despite several attempts but officials working under him brushed these allegations aside saying that PEMRA is just trying to tame these cable operators who do not want to be governed by anyone. Chaudhry Rashid was not available for any comments in this regard. Many in PEMRA strongly believe that Nawaz government has got nothing to do with these malpractices and open violations going on in PEMRA. They said that newly inducted chairman is already facing at least five litigations in various courts challenging his appointment while Rana Tahir in his previous stint with PEMRA is known for under the table bargains. Therefore, they believe that it’s more about personal interests and money than the backing of Nawaz government which has made this coterie completely blind. Prime Minister of Pakistan Mian Nawaz Sharif in his first speech had categorically stated that his government would not tolerate nepotism and corruption and many inside and outside PEMRA are now considering this regulatory authority as the first test case for the new government to prove its claims of transparency and good governance.
PEMRA is still ruled by PPP's cronies what else you expect
ReplyDeleteanother sheeda talli in charge here so he cannot do any good to Shero from Punjab sheeda is a known PPP jiyala well done PPP for leaving behind a heavily tilted bureaucrats mian sb take some heart as it will be hard for you to find independent or eve neutral bureucracy
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