On Friday, the Lahore and Islamabad High Courts issued notices to the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority in response to petitions challenging its directives prohibiting television channels from broadcasting court proceedings and instructing them to only report on written orders.
During the hearing at the Lahore High Court presided over by Justice Abid Aziz Shaikh, the electronic media regulator was directed to reply to the notice by May 29.
These notices come subsequent to Pemra’s issuance of two notifications on May 21, instructing TV channels to refrain from reporting on court proceedings and urging journalists to solely focus on disseminating courts’ written orders. Notably, due to Pemra’s ban, coverage of the petition proceedings in the LHC and IHC is absent.
The petitions, one filed by Azhar Siddiq and another by Advocate Samra Malik, argue that Pemra’s ban infringes upon Articles 10-A, 19, and 19-A of the Pakistani Constitution, which pertain to the right to a fair trial, freedom of speech, and the right to information, respectively. One plea seeks the court to dismiss the prosecutor’s plea and deem it “inadmissible”.
Naming Pemra and the federal government as respondents, the petitions call upon the LHC to nullify the notification and suspend its implementation until a verdict is reached. Additionally, Advocate Nadeem Sarwar has lodged another plea, which is pending a hearing date.
Petitions contesting the Pemra ban were filed in the Sindh, Lahore, and Islamabad High Courts, as well as the Supreme Court. The ban, issued on May 21, instructed satellite news channels to refrain from broadcasting any content that could prejudice court determinations on ongoing cases.
It also mandated the avoidance of tickers or headlines related to court proceedings until a final order is issued. Pemra emphasized strict adherence to its laws in accordance with a Supreme Court judgment and warned of legal consequences for any breaches.
IHC also issues notice to Pemra
The Islamabad High Court issued notices to Pemra and the secretary of information in response to a petition filed by the IHC Court Reporter’s Association challenging Pemra’s decision. The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists also petitioned the IHC against Pemra’s decision, with Vice Chairman Islamabad Bar Council Adil Aziz Qazi filing the plea.
Chief Justice Aamer Farooq presided over the hearing, restraining Pemra from taking disciplinary action against TV channels and issuing a notice on a miscellaneous application to suspend Pemra’s notification. The court adjourned the petition hearing until May 28.
PFUJ urged the annulment of Pemra’s notification, alleging it violated fundamental human rights and misinterpreted a Supreme Court judgment. They argued that Pemra’s action contravened Articles 19 and 19A of the Constitution and the spirit of the PEMRA Ordinance 2002.
