SHC restrains PEMRA

KARACHI: A division bench of the Sindh High Court on Friday restrained the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) from finalising the issuance of television broadcast licenses to applicants to open television channels.

The order came on a petition filed by Herald Publication Pakistan Ltd, which cited the federal information secretary and PEMRA as respondents. Barrister Muneer A Malik and Zia-ul-Haq Mahkdoom, the advocates appearing for the petitioner, maintained that section 17 of the 2000 PEMRA rules pertaining to the in-eligibility of applicants and licensees for television broadcast is outside the remit of sections 19 and 23 of the rules.

“The declared policy of the Information Ministry is to allow the print media to obtain television broadcast licenses and PEMRA is bound to follow the policy,” said Mr Malik during the preliminary hearing on Friday.

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