Top officials summoned over the airing of content against SC

PEMRA chief, information secretary called in to explain media code of conduct

ISLAMABAD: Federal information secretary and PEMRA chairman were summoned by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday in a petition seeking restraints on media from covering stories “against” the Supreme Court (SC).

IHC Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui directed the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) and the ministry of information and broadcasting to restrain media from airing or publishing stories “against” the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) and the SC.

Justice Siddiqui also directed PEMRA Chairman Dr Abdul Jabbar and Federal Information Secretary Rashid Ahmed to appear in person on October 15 to explain media’s code of conduct and regulations on live programming.

He also directed the PEMRA chief to ensure that no program containing any malicious material against the superior judiciary, especially the CJP, is telecast by any channel. The two were also directed to furnish a report on the actions taken against “malicious programming” aired by different channels.

Muhammad Nadeem, a lawyer, had filed the petition through Advocate Akram Sheikh.

Sheikh argued that the broadcasts of certain “defamatory” interviews were in violation of Section 20 of the PEMRA Ordinance and that the authority has failed to stop negative coverage, even in repeat transmissions.

The court said if the allegations of misconduct against SC judges are valid, action may be taken via the Supreme Judicial Council, under the Article 209 of the Constitution.

Constitutionally, the Supreme Judicial Council is made up of the Chief Justice of Pakistan, the two next most senior SC judges, and the two most senior high court chief justices.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 10^th, 2012.