PESHAWAR, Jan 15: The Peshawar High Court on Tuesday put on notice the chairman and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa director of Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) after taking notice of vulgar Pashto dramas and dances aired by cable TV operators in Peshawar.

A two-member bench comprising Chief Justice Dost Mohammad Khan and Mrs Justice Irshad Qaiser ordered that the director should appear in person on Feb 6 and explain what steps they had taken for checking vulgar programmes on cable TV.

The bench observed that complaints were being received by the human rights directorate of the court that vulgar and immoral Pashto dramas and stage shows had been aired by cable operators. It was added that these dramas and shows were also openly available on CDs in the market.

It was observed that airing of such programmes had been impairing Pashtun culture and the Pemra had not been taking notice of such detestable acts, which were affecting the morals of younger generation.

The bench took notice of the issue while hearing a writ petition filed by Aurangzeb Khan Hoti, son of former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor Abdul Ghafoor Hoti, challenging airing of a programme against him by a private television channel. —Bureau Report