IHC restrains Pemra from collecting over Rs50b in ad revenue

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday restrained Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) from collecting more than Rs50 billion Annual Gross Advertisement Revenue from television channels.

The IHC granted stay on the petitions filed by the Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) and others. The PBA had approached the IHC requesting to declare that Annual Gross Advertisement Revenue imposed by Schedule-B to the Pemra Rules, 2009, was ultra vires to the Constitution without jurisdiction, illegal and of no legal effect.

The PBA and others filed a writ petition in the IHC through Advocate Faisal Siddiqi. "Permanently restrain the Pemra from taking any adverse and/ or coercive action against the petitioners in relation to the imposition and recovery of Annual Gross Advertisement Revenue including but not limited to, in pursuant of Schedule-B to the Pemra Rules, 2009", it is further prayed.