Compliant to Pemra against TV host Liaqat Hussian for making blasphemy allegations

ISLAMABAD ( MEDIA REPORT )

Lawyer Jibran Nasir on Friday filed a complaint with Pakistan Electronic Media Authority (Pemra) alleging TV presenter Aamir Liaquat Hussain of running a defamatory and life threatening campaign against him, local media outlets reported on Saturday.

Nasir submitted a written application before the Pemra Council of Complaints, Sindh region. He stated that Liaquat has started a defamatory and life threatening campaign in his show ‘Aisy Nahi Chaly Ga’ on Bol TV in the aftermath of missing bloggers.

He stated that following the reported abduction of bloggers in the first week of January, unsubstantiated allegations emerged over social media on January 9 linking the missing bloggers to the allegedly blasphemous Facebook page ‘Bhensa’, adding that ‘Ummat’ newspaper and some television anchors propagated the allegations without any evidence.

The lawyer maintained that the following day, Liaquat hurled baseless allegations against him and even termed him an ‘atheist’ besides accusing him of running ‘anti-Pakistan’ and ‘anti-Islam’ agenda.

Liaquat did not stop here and went on to assert allegations of blasphemy against Jibran along with accusing him of being the admin of ‘Bhensa’ page, the complaint read, a copy of which was also sent to Pemra Chairman Absar Alam.

The television anchor also reportedly maligned classical dancer Sheema Kermani merely for the reason that she participated in a rally demanding release of the missing bloggers.

The lawyer pleaded that the families of missing bloggers Salman Haider and Waqas Goraya recently held a press conference in Islamabad, along with a religious cleric Mufti Ismail, to refute the allegations of involvement in any blasphemous activity while reaffirming their faith in religion Islam.

A copy of the application, which was also sent to Pemra Chairman Absar Alam, went on to state that the families of bloggers did not allege any security agency of abduction and merely reminded government of its responsibility to ensure safety of citizens.