Tiranga TV, a news channel funded by Congress leader Kapil Sibal, and 12 others were on Monday, 25 February, sent show cause notices by the Centre for allegedly airing a media briefing of Pakistan Army Spokesperson Major General Asif Ghafoor.
The 22 February briefing was about the Pulwama terror attack.
In the notice accessed by The Quint, the Information and Broadcasting (I&B) ministry has alleged that Tiranga TV violated its advisory issued on 14 February in the aftermath of the Pulwama attack.
“Whereas it has come to the notice of the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting that Tiranga TV telecast media briefing of Pakistan Army Spokesperson Major General Asif Ghafoor on Pulwama terror attack between 15.41 and 16.02 hrs on 22.02.19,” the notice said.
Following the attack in Pulwama on 14 February that killed 40 CRPF jawans, the I&B ministry had issued an advisory for channels to not air any content that might incite violence, affect law and order, promote anti-national attitude and affect the integrity of the nation.
According to the notice, Tiranga TV had telecast the media briefing for 20 minutes and 45 seconds, “during which there was no intervention from the channel for correctness or otherwise of the claims being made in the said briefing in order to ensure that there is no violation of the aforementioned Rules.”
According to sources, the following 12 channels were sent similar notices:
- ABP News
- Surya Samachar
- TNews Nation
- Zee Hindustan
- TOTAL TV
- ABP Majha
- News18 Lokmat
- Jai Maharashtra
- News 18 Gujarati
- News24
- Sandesh News
- News18 India
What Pak Army Had Said
On 22 February, amid tensions between the two nations, the Pakistan Army had said that the country does not wish for war, but warned India of "surprise" in case it takes any aggressive military measures.
Addressing a press conference, Ghafoor had said that India blamed Pakistan for the Pulwama attack "without due investigation" and New Delhi has not yet accepted the "reality of partition.”
“We are not preparing for war, you (India) are issuing threats... we have the right to respond to the threats. We are not preparing to initiate but planning to defend and retaliate, which is our right,” the Pakistani Army spokesperson said.
He further said: “Should you (India) initiate any reaction first, you would never be able to surprise us... we will surprise you." He said that when it comes to India, "Pakistan has singleness of conception. We have will and determination." Ghafoor warned that military response this time will be different in case of war.
“We are not the army of past, we are a battle-hardened army. We have fought against an unseen enemy and won,” he said.
The spokesperson said that “we can respond to full spectrum threat” and warned “I hope you (India) get (the message) and do not mess with Pakistan.”
"We are two democracies, and democracies do not fight," he had added.
Ghafoor said that Prime Minister Imran Khan has authorised the Army to take all measures to defend the country in case of any attack.
(With inputs from PTI)
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