KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Wednesday suspended its earlier order about lifting a ban on the media coverage of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and its leadership in the aftermath of May 9 riots.

The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) filed an intra-court appeal against the order of a single-judge bench of SHC that had suspended the impugned letter issued by Pemra on May 31.

A two-judge bench headed by Justice Mohammad Shafi Siddiqui suspended the impugned order till the next hearing.

The bench in its order stated, “We have perused the impugned interim order and are of the view that as an interim measure such directives in consonance with the Pemra law should not have been suspended. The interim order impugned in this appeal, reasons for which are still awaited, shall remain suspended till next date of hearing.”

On Nov 13, the single-judge bench had suspended the impugned letter of Pemra and observed that it asked the deputy attorney general to assist the court on behalf of the information ministry but it got no response. An assistant attorney general appeared in court after it announced the order and submitted that he was busy before another bench of SHC, it added.

Plaintiff Mohammad Tahamas Ali Khan had filed the suit in the SHC on Aug 1, impugning a Pemra directive to private news channels to ban the coverage of the PTI chief and his party.

Published in Dawn, November 23rd, 2023