‘Nadeem Malik Live’ show on Samaa TV found in breach by Ofcom

Samaa TV has been rapped by Ofcom for two episodes of ‘Nadeem Malik Live’ aired on 5th and 6th May 2020.

Both programmes included a discussion of a controversy surrounding the potential inclusion of Ahmadi representatives in the National Commission for Minorities, which had been recently established in Pakistan. Both programmes included contributions from representatives of political parties in Pakistan.

Ofcom received 13 complaints about the above programmes, including that they contained statements that amounted to hate speech and were likely to encourage or incite attacks against Ahmadi people in the UK. When making their complaints to Ofcom, complainants referred to the 2016 sectarian murder of Ahmadi shopkeeper Asad Shah in Glasgow.

Ofcom is putting the broadcaster on notice that it will consider these serious breaches for the imposition of a statutory sanction.