PEMRA told to maintain code of ethics | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

PEMRA told to maintain code of ethics

Pakistan Press Foundation

LAHORE: Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice Ijazul Ahsan on Friday issued a notice to Pakistan Electronic Media and Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) regarding a petition against exhibition of immoral films, dramas, programmes and movies on television channels.

The chief justice directed PEMRA to submit a detailed report on implementation of its code on television channels by January 4, 2016. The notice was issued on a petition by Major (r) Ch Zaheerud din.

The petitioner counsel stated that the PEMRA authorities, during hearing of his application, admitted that some private television channels have been showing immoral content and that they have failed to implement their code on such media organisations. He also said that it was a violation of the constitution and also of the Islamic injunctions.

Such content had been badly affecting innocent minds of young generation and was having damaging effects on the society, he added. He also requested PEMRA to ensure implementation of its code on television channels with respect to their content.

In a separate case, LHC Justice Mirza Viqas Rauf on Friday allowed different identical petitions against levy of education cess on Lahore Gymkhana and other leisure clubs, by terming it as double taxing, which is not permissible under the law.

The petitions were moved on behalf of different clubs, challenging recovery of the education cess by the excise and taxation department.

Petitioners’ counsel Khawaja Saeeduz Zafar said that the Punjab government had imposed taxes on certain categories of services and use of infrastructure in the new budget.

He said that the provincial government has the authority to levy any tax as it was the subject of the parliament. Zafar said that the recovery of the impugned education cess was amounted to double taxing. He also claimed that the leisure clubs had already been paying 16% sales tax and education tax on recovery of the double tax, which was not justified.

A law officer of Punjab government, while opposing the petition, said that the government was exercising its lawful jurisdiction when it imposed the cess through the Finance Act. The Judge allowed the petitions and voided the education cess, declaring it a double taxing.

Daily Times