Hum News cleared by Ofcom over ‘Breaking Point with Malick’ complaint

Media regulator, Ofcom has cleared Hum News over a complaint it had received over its topical news show ‘Breaking Point with Malick’ in July 2019.

The show included an interview with Mr David Rose, a journalist, who referred to a news story that denied the existence of an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) agreement between the UK and Pakistan relating to the extradition of Mr Ishaq Dar, a former Pakistan Finance Minister now living in the UK. Mr Murtaza Ali Shah complained that he was treated unjustly or unfairly in the programme as broadcast because he said that he was the author of the story referred to and that it was untrue that he had denied the existence of the MoU.

Ofcom ruled that in its view a) the comments made by Mr Rose did not amount to
significant allegations about Mr Shah, or gave rise to any unfairness to him in the programme, Ofcom considered that in the circumstances of this case, there was no requirement for the broadcaster to have provided Mr Shah with an appropriate and timely opportunity to respond to the comments made by Mr Rose in the programme.

It found that material facts were not presented, disregarded or omitted in a way that was unfair to Mr Shah.