PAT leader Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri has said that character assassination of the armed forces was carried out uninterruptedly for 8 hours at a TV channel. He said that a state institution responsible for national security remained under attack for 8 hours. The country became a laugh stock in the world and punishment meted out for this offence was 15-day suspension of the TV channel and imposition of Rs. 10 million as fine. He said that it appeared as if national honour was being sold for Rs. 10 million.

Talking to Imran Khan, anchorperson of Express News primetime weekly edition ‘Takrar’, Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri said that the 15-day ban imposed on a channel by PEMRA had the blessings of the rulers. He further asked whether the price of disrespecting the national institutions was merely Rs. 10 million.

Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri said that if ‘reputation’ of one TV channel was brought into ‘disrepute’, the TV channel had the gall to serve a notice of Rs. 50 billion on a state institution, further adding that imposition of 10 million fine was thought to be sufficient to compensate for the character assassination of ISI and the armed forces. He asked whether prestige and respect of one channel was superior to national honour. He said that the government, through this PEMRA verdict, had halved the regulator body into two factions; official PEMRA and un-official PEMRA. He said that the decision against Geo was got announced by PEMRA consisting of the government-nominated members, while even the need of inviting the un-official PEMRA members was not felt as they had earlier arrived at a decision to suspend Geo’s license a few weeks ago.

Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri said that he had no concern for any media house whether this work was done by Express News, Dunya News, ARY News or any other channel. He said what he was concerned about was relevant law and its implementation. He said that when punishment is announced, it means that criminality has been proven. He said that the PEMRA decision held one media house guilty and this media house had clear blessings and support of the government. He said that none was bigger enemy of Pakistan than these rulers as they were against national honour and integrity. He said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif held a meeting with his Indian counterpart Dr Manmohan Singh on September 29, 2013 at Palace Hotel in New York during his visit to the US in which he told the Indian Prime Minister that he had no faith in his armed forces unlike the way he had in his military.

Dr Qadri said that this matter was written in Order of Discussion which both countries exchanged later on and this matter was hushed up for one year. The Indian media was startled as to what the Pakistan premier was saying to his Indian counterpart. He said that people did not stand to benefit as long as these people remained in power. He said that these elements came into power on an anti-state agenda.

To a question, he said that he had a clear stance on the issue of Altaf Hussain. He said that he did not support grant of any special favours or concessions to anyone but demanded that everyone should be treated equally and fairly in accordance with law and principles of justice. He said that $200 billion owned by the Pakistani politicians were lying in two banks of Switzerland. He said that this was money laundering as well and the money should be returned to Pakistan.

Dr Qadri said that the Prime Minister of New Zealand told him that Nawaz Sharif owned 50% shares in an official steel mill, asking if it was not a money laundering then what it was. To a question, he said that the recently announced budget was pro-rich and anti-poor wherein the rich and moneyed classes were rewarded while the woes of the poor would increase.