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Friday April 19, 2024

Govt to move SHC to get stay vacated

Private TV channel was granted licence by Pemra under chairmanship of Ch Rashid during interim govt

By our correspondents
May 24, 2015
ISLAMABAD: The government has launched investigation into the security clearance given by four institutions in just six days to private news channel Bol.
The channel was granted licence during the interim government when president was Asif Ali Zardari. Pemra whose Chairman at that time was Chaudhary Rashid, who was holding this post since the PPP government, approved the licence.
The incumbent government has decided to file a petition through the panel of lawyers to get vacate the stay order from Sindh High Court which the channel had got 10 months ago against the cancellation of security clearance, the sources said.
The Pemra would cancel licence of the channel as soon as the stay order was vacated.
The institutions from which the clearance was got in six days are local police, special branch, intelligence bureau and ISI in just six days. It was disclosed that it usually takes several months for getting security clearance before acquiring licence for a private channel, cable licence, landing rights or satellite licence even radio license.
With the advent of the Nawaz Sharif government the licence of Bol channel was cancelled in September 2013 because it was not possible to complete process of security clearance in just six days from the four agencies. The private news channel had got stay order from the Sindh High Court against the decision of the Federal Interior Ministry.