LAHORE: The Lahore High Court has been asked to issue an order to the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) to stop all television channels from holding debate on sub judice matters.
Advocate M.H Mujahid made this request in a writ petition seeking enforcement of the Pemra Ordinance 2002, and not allowing any television channel to broadcast any programme or discussion on matter sub judice before a court of law.
The lawyer filed the petition through Advocate A.K Dogar pleading that it was a universally accepted principle that when a case was pending in a court the matter was said to be sub-judice.
He said in Pakistan every day news anchors sit like judges and the participants of their programmes argued like lawyers.
Even the remarks made by judges of superior courts were subjected to scathing criticism, he added.
The petitioner pointed out that Section 20 clause (n) of the Pemra Ordinance says, “Not broadcast any programme or discussion on a matter which is sub judice.”
He stated that the fundamental right of freedom of speech was neither uncontrolled nor unbridled.
The petitioner asked the court to order the Pemra to enforce its law and stop all television channels from holding programmes on sub judice matters.
RESERVED:
Justice Shahid Karim of the Lahore High Court on Wednesday reserved verdict on the maintainability of a petition seeking a probe into alleged attempt by Sharif family to bribe Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan to dump his movement against the Panama Papers revelations.
Advocate Ghazi Ilamuddin filed the petition pleading that the whole nation was in state of shock since Mr Khan revealed that a “common friend” made an offer of Rs 10 billion to him on behalf of Shahbaz Sharif and Hamza Shahbaz.
The lawyer contended that the people of the country had the right to know truth behind the disclosure made by the PTI chairman as Sharif family had been denying the allegation. He asked the court to order an inquiry into the allegation of the offer.
The judge heard the arguments and observed that the court would first decide whether the relief sought in the petition fell within the jurisdiction of the high court. The judge reserved his verdict on the maintainability of the petition.
Published in Dawn, May 4th, 2017
