Pemra has powers to ban channel programme: court

Private channel’s petition dismissed

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Monday declared that the opinion of Dr Shahid Masood, an ARY television anchor, expressed in his programme was violative of the Code of Conduct and the Pemra under Section 27 of the Pemra Ordinance had powers to prohibit the broadcast.

In a short order announced on Monday, Justice Aamer Farooq dismissed the writ petition of ARY where the TV channel had challenged Pemra’s order imposing a ban of 45 days on its programme host Dr Shahid Masood who has been anchoring a programme “Live With Dr Shahid Masood”. 

Pemra had imposed a ban on Dr Masood for casting aspersions on the chief justice of Sindh High Court. A detailed order will be issued today on Tuesday (today). The bench in its order said the Supreme Court through an order dated July 21, 2016 had directed the Pemra to submit details about the television channels involved in negative propaganda about the judiciary and Pemra’s disciplinary actions taken against them.