PFUJ body starts probe into Rehman Malik’s complaint

PFUJ body starts probe into Rehman Malik’s complaint

ISLAMABAD, Sep 30 (APP): The five-member Special Committee Constituted by the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) met here on Thursday to consider the complaint of Interior Minister Rehman Malik pertaining to alleged airing a news item by a private channel purporting that “the minister has resigned from his cabinet position.”The meeting, which was chaired by PFUJ Pervaiz Shaukat, and attended by all its five members, Shamsul Islam Naz, Secretary-General PFUJ; Ashfaq Sajid, President, Rawalpindi-Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ); Tahir Rathore, former President RIUJ, and Asim Rana, General Secretary, National Press Club, Islamabad. After detailed discussions and considering the contents of the complaint observed that “keeping in view of the Code of Ethics of the PFUJ and voluntarily evolved Code of Ethics prima facie reached that the complaint of the Interior Minister warrants to be proceeded further to ascertain the truth and veracity of the news aired by the ARY News channel. The Committee further observed that the complainant maintained that “this news item was totally false, fabricated and concocted and was against all norms of journalism and that he would like to place the matter before the PFUJ Council to look into the matter with a view to uphold principles of free, fair and responsible journalism, and to investigate the background and reasons of this story. The committee was of the opinion that as per cannons of justice, fair-play, equity and taking into consideration the Code of Ethics of the PFUJ as well as Code of Ethics evolved by the professionals of the electronic media, it unanimously resolved that before proceeding further explanation be sought from the President of the Channel to explain reasons for airing news referred by the complainant in his complaint. Accordingly, the meeting decided to issue notice to the TV channel to submit reply on or before Oct 4, 2010, and also depute some authorized person who is fully competent and empowered to reply to the queries of the committee. The committee would meet on Oct 4 at PFUJ Secretariat to initiate further proceedings into this matter.