Pakistani media persons have started to incite people on violence against those who don’t wear a face mask in public places amid coronavirus pandemic.
The female host of Geo Pakistan, Huma Amir Shah, suggested in an on-air show that the police should not only arrest the people who refrain from wearing a mask but it should also slap them, perhaps as a measure of deterrence for others to follow precautionary guidelines.
There was a similar case with Sham Ramazan transmission on ARY News where the anchorpersons lamented defiance of precautionary guidelines by people but refrained from setting an example for the viewers.
ARY anchors doing the same. Lamenting the lack of protocols etc. Again, both sitting maskless inside a studio. These anchors could wear masks while on TV, which will not only keep them safe but also send a strong message about the direness of the situation. @reportpemra pic.twitter.com/32MvoPPlmm
— Imran Khan (@iopyne) April 24, 2021
In both shows, the anchors didn’t cover their faces during the broadcast even just symbolically to create awareness among the viewers and to emphasize its importance when the infection rate in the country has gone up drastically.
Also, inciting unlawful behavior is considered a punishable crime in the law of the country.
Further, it just did not stay to the juniors in the field but senior journalist Ejaz Haider posted a tweet on his official handle on April 24.
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He used abusive language for the people who don’t wear face masks properly and keep their nose exposed while wearing it.
کچھ پھٹے ہوئے خنزیر تو ماسک پہنتے ہی نہیں۔ لیکن کچھ پہنتے ہیں پر ناک ماسک سے باہر رکھتے ہیں۔ ان سے گزارش ہے کہ ناک ماسک سے باہر رکھنا اتنا ہی چوتیا کام ہے جتنا زیر جامہ پہن کر نو نو زیر جامہ سے باہررکھنا۔ اگلی واری جے نک بار رکھنا جے تے للی وی بار رکھنا، شکریہ
— EH (@ejazhaider) April 24, 2021
These media persons disregarded the fact that their jobs were to sensitize masses and not to incite violence keeping in view the fact that they are followed by thousands of people and their recommendations could keep weightage.