Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has issued a notice to ‘Neo News’, a Private News Channel in Pakistan, over false news reporting. NEO News published false news about the increase in the salary of Prime minister Imran Khan of Pakistan on January 29, 2020.
Neo News reported that the salary of Prime minister Imran Khan has been increased from Rs. 200,000 (Rupees two hundred thousand) to Rs. 800,000 (Rupees eight Hundred thousand).
However, The spokesperson of Prime minister’s office has strongly rebutted this news and condemned airing of such false news without verification or soliciting views from prime minister’s office.
Airing of such false news is sheer violation of section 20(f) of PEMRA ordinance, 2002.
The news was aired on Neo News network for a whole evening of January 29, and the news channel aired an hour-long talk show criticizing prime minister and accusing him of increasing his own salary without caring poor people of Pakistan.
The false news about the salary of Prime minister created unrest among the general public and caused a distraction in their mind against Imran Khan and also hurt the reputation of PM Imran Khan among his supporters.
Watch the talk show of Neo News in which the channel repeatedly reported their false news and kept criticising the prime minister for an act (increase in his own salary) which he never committed.
Dr Shahbaz Gill, former chief spokesperson of Cheif minister Punjab, was already denying the news of increase in the salary of Imran Khan until PEMRA officially issued a notice to this news channel.