We have always upheld the right to free speech as a sacred cause & fought against attempts to curtail this right: Marriyum Aurangzeb

ISLAMABAD, April 12 (SABAH): Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb has said that some concerns have been expressed regarding a recent Pakistan Electronic Media Regulator Authority (PEMRA) order about coverage ethics of violent scenes involving acts of terrorism and their aftermath.

In a statement issued on the twitter on Wednesday, Marriyum Aurangzeb said that the order prohibits broadcasting gory scenes, dead bodies, wreckage without exception. She said that live coverage of terrorism incidents spots amplifies terrorism impact and divulges sensitive post operation information to miscreants. Marriyum Aurangzeb said that we have always upheld the right to free speech as a sacred cause and fought against attempts to curtail this right.

Marriyum Aurangzeb said that we are committed to this principle. But enforcement of ethics of coverage involving acts of terrorism is a global code. It is part of the national law. It is what we owe to the people who are victims of terrorism. It is what responsible journalism is and live images from the spot only to avoid spreading fear and panic among the masses, which is always the real aim and design of the terrorists, she said.

“This boundary is set all over the world and every responsible media body and organisation adheres to them across the board” Marriyum Aurangzeb said.