PEMRA’s reply sought on IK’s contempt plea

LHC had suspended a ban on broadcasting speeches of ex-PM

LAHORE:

Lahore High Court (LHC) Justice Shams Mehmood Mirza has sought reply from PEMRA on a plea filed by PTI chairman Imran Khan seeking contempt proceedings over not complying with an order suspending the operation of a notification banning the broadcast and re-broadcast of his interviews, speeches and press talk on TV channels.

Justice Mirza had suspended the notification on March 9 after the petitioner challenged it.

The petitioner had filed the contempt plea through Barrister Muhammad Ahmad Pansota, contending that the LHC had passed a clear order in presence of the counsel for the respondent PEMRA officials but it had not been complied with.

Barrister Pansota contended in the petition that the action of the respondents was in contradiction with the Article 10-A of the Constitution.

He submitted that the right of being equal before the law in light of the Article 25 could not be taken away or tampered with, but the petitioner had been dealt with unfairly and unjustly.

The respondents were liable to be punished as prescribed by the law of contempt of court, he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 4^th, 2023.