An FIR was lodged on the complaint of a lawyer in May against the management of Geo TV, Shaista Lodhi, the host of Utho Jago Pakistan programme, and some others on charges that they aired objectionable content in the morning show.

Abdul Maroof, special public prosecutor of ATC-III, wrote a letter to the SHO of Mithadar police station on Saturday, stating that, in his view, basic elements of criminal liability were missing in the case due to absence of “mens rea”. He argued that the offence caused to viewers was unintended.

(“Mens rea” is a legal term which literally means “guilty mind”. This forms the basis for a notion that those without sufficient mental capability cannot be judged guilty of a crime. In courts, “mens rea” must be established to prove that a crime has been committed.)

Maroof maintained that since lodging a case in respect of broadcasting offences was barred under Section 34 of the Pemra Ordinance 2002, the case had become illegal, adding that the contents alleged in the FIR fell within the ambit of broadcasting offences case was lodged at Mithadar police station under Sections 295-A [deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs], 298-A [use of derogatory remarks, etc in respect of the Holy Prophet (PBUH)] and 34 (common intention) of Pakistan Penal Code, read with Section 7 of Anti-terrorism Act 1997.

DAWN

The fatwa was prompted by an episode of the Geo Entertainment morning show ‘Utho Jago Pakistan’ aired a day earlier, which contained blasphemous content. The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) also issued a show cause notice to Geo TV on Thursday over the same issue.

While passing the decree, SIC scholars said that after targeting the country’s security institutions in a smear campaign, Geo TV had now started harming Islamic principles. This, they said, is the agenda of anti-Pakistan forces.

In the episode of the morning show in question, the host and the guests carried out untoward activities while a sacred hymn was being read out, the scholars said. The indecent attitude of the host and guests was totally inappropriate, they added.

Showing disrespect to holy figures is strictly forbidden, said the scholars. In this instance, they said, not even a hint of respect was shown towards them by the host and guests. This act of Geo TV has hurt the religious sentiments of millions of Muslims worldwide, the scholars added.

The SIC scholars said they and other citizens expected the media to nurture religious and ethical values instead of spreading vulgarity in the name of entertainment. They also pointed out it was the duty of the government to prevent such content from being broadcast.

Participating in programmes where religious personalities are disrespected is strictly forbidden, the scholars said. If the government fails to stop such programmes from being aired, it becomes the duty of citizens to boycott them, they added.

The scholars said Geo TV cannot be forgiven for its ‘indecent, inappropriate, anti-Pakistan’ behaviour and demanded that the network’s owners, administration and management be tried immediately for blasphemy.

The religious scholars who issued the fatwa against Geo TV included Sheikhul Hadees Allama, Muhammad Sharif Rizvi, Mufti Muhammad Saeed Rizvi, Mufti Muhammad Akbar Rizvi, Allama Hamid and Sarfaraz Qadri, among others.

Express Tribune

Taking immediate cognisance of the controversial content aired in the morning show of the Geo Entertainment Channel, “Utho Jago Pakistan” hosted by Shaista Lodhi, on May 14, PEMRA has served a show-cause notice to the channel and has called for immediate explanation, said a press release on Thursday. PEMRA said the aired content was in violation of clauses (a), (i) & (p) of PEMRA Code of Conduct, contained in Schedule A of PEMRA Rules 2009 which states that:

(1) No programme shall be aired which- (a) passes derogatory remarks about any religion or sect or community or uses visuals or words contemptuous of religious sects and ethnic groups or which promotes communal and sectarian attitudes or disharmony; (i) is against basic cultural values, morality and good manners; (p) contains material which is against ideology of Pakistan or Islamic values.

PEMRA has received more than 5,000 public complaints against the programme of the channel through PEMRA Complaints Call Centre and website. The complaints are being referred to the Council of Complaints in the light of Section 26 of PEMRA Act 2007, for deciding the matter on emergent basis within a week.

Meanwhile, the TV channel has launched an inquiry against the show over what it terms was an “inadvertent mistake”. Earlier, Dr Shaista Lodhi, the host of the show, apologized over the “inadvertent mistake” in the programme. According to her statement aired on Thursday, the remorseful host said that she along with the entire team of the show feels sorry and tenders an apology “for the circumstances that were triggered unintentionally due to the content of the programme broadcast yesterday”.

Dr Shaista said that she seeks forgiveness from the Almighty Allah over an unintended gaffe that hurt the sentiments of the people. The Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) Thursday demanded the government ban Geo TV just like YouTube had been banned. “The satellite news channel has started ‘attacking’ the sacraments of Islam, thus it must be taken off air,” alleged SIC leader Sahibzada Hamid Raza.

Raza said that the SIC would move the Supreme Court of Pakistan against this violation. “Geo TV must be tried for blasphemy against the holy Quran and Islamic traditions,” he said. The SIC chief stressed that social reformation was one of media’s key responsibilities.

“The mass media with their extensive outreach must always be careful about the content they are airing. They must design it in a way that it does not hurt anyone’s sentiments, especially religious,” Raza said. He also announced that the SIC would stage a protest sit-in against the channel on Sunday. “We will protest until the satellite channel is banned”, he said.

Daily Times