The high courts have issued notices to the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) over its notification prohibiting news channels from airing court proceedings, according to a report by Geo News.
The notification directed the news channels to report only on written orders. The Islamabad and Lahore high courts have ordered PEMRA to respond to the notices by May 29, 2024. The orders arrived on Friday in response to the petitions filed against the PEMRA notifications, including one by a lawyer.
The notification regarding the court proceedings was issued on May 21, 2024. The electronic media regulator prohibited news channels and reporters from covering court proceedings, and directed them to report only on the written orders issued by the court. Following the PEMRA notification, developments regarding the petitions were not being taken up in the mainstream media.
The notification directed news channels and reporters to “refrain from airing tickers/headlines with regard to court proceedings and shall only report the written orders of court”. The directives were roundly condemned by journalists and rights bodies, with many calling the move a violation of Articles 10A (right to free trial), 19 (freedom of expression) and 19A (right to information) of the Constitution.
The Press Association of the Supreme Court (PAS) and the Islamabad High Court Journalists Association (IHCJA) too rejected PEMRA’s notifications. The groups, in a joint statement, deemed the notification against the independence of the courts. The statement declared that PEMRA had no legal authority to ban the reporting on court proceedings.
