LAHORE, Dec 10: The Lahore High Court on Tuesday stayed exhibition of foreign films, dramas, television shows etc., on Pakistani channels and sought detailed replies from the federal government and the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra).

Justice Khalid Mahmood Khan passed this interim order on a petition moved by television anchor Mubashar Lucman.

As the proceedings started, the petitioner appeared before the court along with his counsel and stated that the government allowed import/exhibition of films and dramas of India and other countries through an SRO issued in 2006. He said the impugned SRO was in clear violation of Import Policy and the rules of Pemra. He pointed out that Pemra nominally fined television channels for the violation.

The judge observed that the Indian films and other material were included in the Negative List which could not be changed by issuing an SRO. The judge suspended the SRO and sought replies from the respondents by Dec 12.

Sapna case: The CIA SP (Organised Crime) on Tuesday informed the Lahore High Court that former stopgap chief minister Dost Muhammad Khosa and two others had been summoned by the investigation team for interrogation into alleged kidnap-cum-murder of actress Sapna Khan.

SP Umar Virk said Khosa and two other nominated accused in the FIR of the case would appear before the investigation team on Dec 14. Rana Faheem and Faisal Khan were the other accused. Virk, who was heading the team, stated this during hearing of a petition filed by Missal Khan, father of Sapna, questioning the police failure to arrest the accused.

A division bench, comprising Justice Shahid Hameed Dar and Justice Ali Baqar Najafi, was hearing the petition. The bench adjourned hearing until the first week of Jan, 2014 and directed the SP to complete investigation.

Racecourse police had registered a case in 2012 against Khosa and others on charges of kidnapping and murder of his former wife (Sapna). The complainant (Sapna’s father) said since registration of the case, Khosa was neither arrested by the police nor did he secure bail from any court.

He said the police could not recover Sapna Khan without arrest of the accused (Khosa) and requested the court to direct the police to arrest the accused and submit challan of the case after completing investigation.