LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Thursday suspended operation of a notification of Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) about suspension of Neo TV channel’s licence.

Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti passed the stay order on a petition filed by the channel and sought replies from the Pemra and other respondents by June 17.

Last week, the Supreme Court had restrained the Pemra from taking any coercive measure against the channel for a period of 15 days until the channel challenged vires of the regulations of the authority before a high court.

Representing the petition of the channel before the LHC, Barrister Syed Ali Zafar argued that the Pemra-Television Broadcast Station Operations Regulations 2012 and the impugned order about suspension of the licence were unlawful and in violation of guidelines settled by the SC in Mustafa Impex judgment.

He said the Pemra had given a licence to the petitioner/channel under its 2002 rules and rejected its application for change of programming under 2012 regulations. He said the authority claimed that category of the channel could not be changed under the new regulations.

The counsel said the channel took the matter to the court and the respondent authority issued the impugned notification during the pendency of the litigation.

He asked the court to set aside the 2012 regulations of the Pemra and its notification about suspension of the petitioner’s licence.

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2020