SC constitutes two-member committee to probe illegal sale of DTH boxes

Apex court directs the committee to submit its reply within ten days

The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Thursday constituted a two-member committee to probe the illegal sale of Indian Direct to Home (DTH) boxes in the grey trafficking case, Radio Pakistan reported.

The two-member committee comprises a member from Pakistan Customs and an additional director of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). The committee will investigate and take action against the illegal sale of DTH technology boxes across Pakistan.



A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar heard the case in Islamabad on Thursday.

The apex court directed the committee to submit its reply within ten days.

The court has also asked the customs member to identify the source of smuggling in Pakistani markets.



CJP Nisar regretted that the country is incurring a loss through smuggling of DTH boxes.

The SC in May overturned the 2016 judgment of the Lahore High Court that ruled that Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) had violated the rules of its own ordinance as it auctioned Direct-to-Home (DTH).

DTH is a digital box that gives customers channels permitted to be aired in the country without a cable connection.

Pemra had auctioned three DTH programming licences in November, 2016. The auction was held after the SC allowed the authority to proceed with the auction, but barred it from awarding the contract till the final determination of the case by the LHC.