SHC suspends Pemra ban on private TV programme

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Friday suspended the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority’s ban on a private TV anchor Amir Liquat Hussain's programme till February 1.

The court also directed Pemra and other defendants to submit their replies on the next date of hearing. Private TV  and anchor’s counsel Abdul Karim Khan submitted that Pemra had banned the programme without giving any show cause notice besides also blocking the transmission of the TV. He requested the court to suspend the Pemra order and restore the transmission and programme.

Pemra's counsel Kashif Hanif submitted that the applicant had used derogatory and hate remarks in his programme, which could not be accepted in the society. Being the regulatory authroity, Pemra was bound to stop airing of such programmes that spread hate speeches and derogatory remarks against other persons in the media. He said the anchor declared senior anchors, journalists and civil society members as traitors and blasphemers and launched a smear campaign against them in his programme and Pemra rightly took action against such a programme for violating its laws.

He submitted that Pemra issued the order to ban the controversial programme and if the order was violated, then the transmission of the channel was blocked. He said that transmission of the private TV would be restored if the applicant assures that the controversial program will not be telecast.

He said that the words used in applicants’ TV programme could not be even repeated in the court and requested the court to consider the material produced by Pemra prior to deciding the application. Pakistan Broadcasters Association’s counsel Saim Hashmi said the anchor used derogatory and hate remarks against other TV anchors and civil society members, which is a cause of concern.

SHC’s single bench, headed by Justice Shahnawaz Tariq, observed that Pemra issued notices to TV channels without fulfilling the rules and regulations, and as a result their orders have to be suspended by the courts.

The court, after hearing the arguments of the counsel, suspended Pemra's order regarding the ban and directed the defendants and other counsel to submit their replies by February 1 so that the case could be heard and decided.