ISLAMABAD: A division bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has set aside the order of a single-member bench that barred television channels from broadcasting game shows during Ramazan transmission.

Earlier this month, Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui had disposed of identical petitions — filed by lawyers Waqas Malik and Inamur Rahim Khawaja and others — against airing of obscene content on private television channels. It had directed Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) to ensure “there shall be complete ban on advertisement, dramas and films of foreign origin, India in particular”.

The court had ordered that “no programme suggestive of containing lottery and gambling even apparently for noble purpose like [sponsored] Haj/Umrah tickets etc shall be promoted”. Justice Siddiqui had also made it mandatory for TV channels to air prayer call (Azaan) five times a day.

Published in Dawn, May 26th, 2018