Media regulation: PEMRA’s reply sought by Oct 16

LAHORE: Lahore High Court (LHC) has summoned the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) chairman on October 16 to explain why he had not enforced a ban on media coverage of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain’s activities. The bench comprising Justice Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, Justice Mazhar Iqbal Sidhu and Justice Erum Sajjad Gull passed the order on Friday during the hearing of three identical petitions seeking a ban on Hussain’s media coverage. Hussain’s counsel Asma Jehangir was not present in the court on Friday. Meanwhile, counsel for petitioners – Malik Maqsood Ahmad Awan, Aftab Ahmad Virk and Abdullah Malik – submitted that the PEMRA had failed to enforce a ban on the media coverage of Hussain’s activities in accordance with an LHC directive.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 10^th, 2015.