ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Friday informed the National Assembly that maligning of armed forces, judiciary and others constitutional institutions was against the constitution and no one could be allowed to do so.
Replying to various supplementary questions during Question Hour, she said the government had absolutely zero-tolerance policy in that regard and it was being monitored at three levels including PTA, FIA Cyber Wing and PEMRA. The said three institutions dealt such issues under Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016, she said.
Marriyum Aurangzeb regretted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) targeted various institutions through twitter and a campaign was run against the state institutions through fake twitter accounts, you tubers and bloggers during its four-year rule. Soon record would be presented in the House in that regard, she added.
The minister said PTV fee had been collected through electricity bills since 2004 and it was a very transparent process. PTV received an amount of over Rs 5.94 billion through electricity billing from PEPCO and K-Electric during the current fiscal year till February, she added.
Marriyum Aurangzeb said that those recruited in PTV and other departments of her ministry in violation of rules had been terminated.
The minister said PEMRA issued advisories and warning first and then in case of violation, the regulatory authority had authority to ban the channel.
PEMRA monitored and banned indecent content on the media as per the relevant rules and regulations, she added.
She said PEMRA took action under section 27 against indecent advertisements. Such advertisements were banned or edited, she added.
Regarding illegal and out of merit recruitments in various institutions including PTV during PTI tenure, the minister clarified that she had no soft corner for anyone adding that action had been taken in all such illegal recruitments which were made against the rules and regulations. Political inductions were made in PTV which caused destruction, she said.
The minister said a committee was set up after taking notice into such appointments in all attached departments of ministry of information and broadcasting. All those had been terminated who were recruited against rules and regulation, she said.
