KARACHI:
The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday overturned a move by Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) to suspend the licence of ARY News, with the instruction that the channel “shall not telecast any derogatory, defamatory or incriminating remarks against the superior judiciary and its former members.”
Justice Saeeduddin Nasir, who headed the single bench, passed this interim order till June 27 and also called comments from the Pemra and others.
The lawyers representing the news group, Anwar Mansoor Khan and Rehman Aziz Malik, submitted that following Pemra’s decision on June 20 the licence of the ARY News had been suspended for 15 days.
They also moved an application for urgent hearing of the lawsuit, submitting that on account of suspension of the licence, the plaintiff is suffering colossal losses.
They pleaded to the court to grant an interim order during the pendency of the suit, restraining the defendants from taking any action against the plaintiff or anyone connected with the business of the plaintiff pursuant to the decision of the Pemra.
Anwar Mansoor said that pursuant to the aforesaid recommendations Pemra issued a decision on June 20, without providing an opportunity of hearing the plaintiff or serving any notice of hearing.
He contended that it is a mandatory provision of the relevant law under which the Pemra was bound to serve a notice of hearing to the plaintiff, which should have been afforded an opportunity of being heard.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 25th, 2014.
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