Why parliament could not enforce its decision on Geo Super
Tahir Khalil
ISLAMABAD: The unambiguous and highly pleasing judgment of Supreme Court to issue licence to Geo Super, the only and the most popular sports channel in the country, has given the lie to all the claims of the government and Pemra.
Simultaneously there is a question of paramount importance emerging in the minds of analysts as to why the parliament could not get its decisions implemented with regard to Geo Super that were taken through its standing committees for information and broadcasting. It is to be noted that the parliamentary decision issued on May 11 by the sub committee for information and broadcasting could not be implemented even after 26 days, only because of Pemra’s stubbornness, intransigence and ego.
It may be recalled that Senate and NA Standing Committees for Information and Broadcasting in their meetings held respectively on 26 and 19 April, with Chairman Haji Ghulam Hussain and Begum Belam Hasnain in the chair, had taken a detailed view of the ban on Geo Super. Most of the parliamentarians in these meetings had termed the ban uncalled for and unnecessary and rejected the stance of Pemra. Later the NA Standing Committee formed a sub committee that held two meetings, on May 3 and 11. In the last meeting the sub committee gave a decision in favour of Geo Super and ordered Pemra to grant it immediate permission of up linking from Pakistan, so that it could show sports events, sports news, and sports current affairs shows to its viewers. The Standing Committee had rejected the stance of Pemra of denying broadcast licence from Pakistan on the pretext of ‘security clearance’ and had directed Pemra to review its decision of not issuing temporary licence to Geo Super. However the Pemra authorities evaded implementation of the parliamentary decision in spite of the fact that 26 days had passed. And this in spite of the statement of Chaudhry Saeed Iqbal, chairman of the sub committee, that both the parties will have to implement the decision of the parliamentary committee and none would violate it.
Analysts fail to understand the reason as to why the parliament could not get its decision implemented. They ask: Can the parliament initiate ‘contempt of parliament’ proceedings against those responsible for not implementing its decisions?
Source: The News
Date:6/7/2011
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