ISLAMABAD: Britain’s Ofcom has fined Indian channel Republic Bharat £20,000 for statements made during a current affairs show that the media regulator deemed “expressions of hatred” against the Pakistani people.
The Office of Communications, commonly known as Ofcom, is the UK government-approved regulatory and competition authority for the broadcasting, telecommunications and postal industries. Republic Bhara broadcasts rolling news and current affairs to the Hindi-speaking community in the UK like dozens of other Indian and Pakistani news and entertainment channels.
In an episode of anchor Arnab Goswami’s show, Poochta Hai Bharat, broadcast on September 6, 2019, the presenter and some of his guests held the view that all Pakistanis were ‘terrorists’. Addressing Pakistanis, Goswami said: “We make scientists, you make terrorists.”
The program featured “comments made by the host and some of his guests that amounted to hate speech against Pakistani people, and derogatory and abusive treatment of Pakistani people. The content was also potentially offensive and was not sufficiently justified by the context,” Ofcom said in a statement.
“We considered these statements to be expressions of hatred based on intolerance of Pakistani people based on their nationality alone, and that the broadcast of these statements spread, incited, promoted and justified such intolerance toward Pakistani people among viewers,” Ofcom said.
“We concluded that this was a serious breach of our rules which warranted the imposition of statutory sanctions. These include: a financial penalty of £20,000 ... a direction not to repeat the program; and a direction to broadcast a statement of our findings on a date – and in a form — to be determined by Ofcom.”
Referring to statements by a retired major-general of the Indian army who had been a guest on Goswami’s show, Ofcom said the remarks “clearly threatened that the Indian military would attack Pakistani civilians in their homes, [and] were an expression of hatred and desire to kill by a figure of authority. In our view, the broadcast of these statements also promoted hatred and intolerance toward Pakistani people.”
“We also noted that Pakistani contributors were repeatedly interrupted and afforded little time to make points which may potentially have provided challenge or context,” Ofcom said.
UK regulator fines Indian channel £20,000 for airing ‘hatred’ against Pakistan
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UK regulator fines Indian channel £20,000 for airing ‘hatred’ against Pakistan
- In an episode of anchor Arnab Goswami’s show on Republic Bharat, the presenter and some guests held the view that all Pakistanis were ‘terrorists’
- Broadcast of these statements spread, incited, promoted and justified intolerance toward Pakistanis among viewers, UK media regulator rules
UN Security Council condemns Islamabad mosque bombing claimed by Daesh
- The Council urges accountability, calls for cooperation with Pakistan
- A suicide bomber targeted the mosque during prayers, killing 32 people
ISLAMABAD: The United Nations Security Council said on Friday it condemned a suicide bombing at a mosque on the outskirts of Islamabad that killed at least 32 people, calling the attack “heinous and cowardly” and urging accountability for those responsible.
The blast targeted the Qasr-e-Khadijatul Kubra mosque and imambargah in the Tarlai Kallan area during Friday prayers on Feb. 6, when mosques across the country were packed with worshippers. Daesh claimed responsibility, saying one of its militants detonated an explosive vest inside the congregation.
In a press statement issued by Council President James Kariuki of the United Kingdom, members of the 15-nation body expressed “deepest sympathy and condolences” to the families of the victims and to the government and people of Pakistan.
“The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the heinous and cowardly suicide bombing terrorist attack,” the statement said, reaffirming that “terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security.”
The Council underlined the need to hold “perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors” accountable and urged all states to cooperate actively with the Pakistan government in accordance with international law and relevant UN resolutions.
Pakistan, which is currently serving as a non-permanent member of the Security Council for the 2025–2026 term, has faced intense militant violence in recent years, including attacks claimed by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, Balochistan Liberation Army and Daesh affiliates.
The administration in Islamabad said the day after the attack that a police officer was killed and four suspects were arrested in overnight raids in the northwestern cities of Peshawar and Nowshera.
Among those detained was an Afghan national alleged to have worked for Daesh and to have masterminded the bombing, authorities said.
The Security Council reiterated that acts of such militant violence were criminal and unjustifiable regardless of motivation and reaffirmed the need for states to combat threats to international peace and security in line with the UN Charter and international law.
Earlier this week, Pakistani religious scholars also condemned the bombing at a meeting presided over by Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Muhammad Yousuf, saying the attack was contrary to Islamic teachings.
