On Monday, the Sindh High Court permitted court reporters to cover daily court proceedings, suspending specific clauses of a PEMRA notification dated May 21 that had restricted media coverage of court activities.
The court issued notices to PEMRA, the Ministry of Information, and other relevant parties, instructing them to respond by June 6.
Advocate Abdul Moiz Jafferi contended that PEMRA lacks the authority to impose such directives limiting media coverage of the judiciary. He argued that the authority’s attempt to enforce this restriction effectively constitutes a ban on judicial coverage under a different pretext. The judiciary, he asserted, holds the exclusive right to determine what aspects of court proceedings can be reported.
The chief justice of the Sindh High Court underscored the need for court reporters to exercise responsibility in their coverage of court proceedings. He pointed out that certain comments or observations made during court sessions might sometimes lead to misperceptions about the judiciary.
The court has postponed further hearings on the case until June 6.
