Petition against ban on Geo channels
Time sought for federal government’s comments Matter initially adjourned for 4:30pm then pushed to a later date
The Sindh High Court (SHC) directed the deputy-attorney general (DAG) to seek instructions from the federal government regarding the lifting of the ban on Geo Super, AAG and Geo Entertainment channels’ transmissions.
The DAG sought time to seek such instructions from the authorities concerned and the matter was then adjourned till 4:15 pm. However, the matter could not be taken up again for want of time and the hearing of the case has been adjourned for a date to be fixed by the office of the court.
The court was hearing two identical petitions filed by Independent Media Corporation and Bird (Pvt) against the ban on transmission of Geo News, Geo Entertainment, Geo Super and AAG TV channels by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra).
Arguing before the SHC’s division bench comprising Chief Justice Mohammad Afzal Soomro and Justice Syed Mehmood Alam Rizvi, the petitioners’ counsel Mohammad Ali Mazhar contended that the petitions only pertained to new amendments in the Pemra Ordinance and did not challenge the imposition of emergency rule and Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO).
He argued that though fundamental rights were suspended after the imposition of emergency,Article 18 of the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of trade, business and profession, was not suspended.
He submitted that all channels of the petitioners strictly follow the code of conduct and rules of Pemra but, after the amendments in the Pemra Ordinance, the petitionersÂ’ channels and other TV channels were banned prior to implementation of such new amendments.
The counsel submitted that TV channels were not allowed to air before the introduction of new amendments in the Pemra laws and, in such conditions, it could not be judged whether these channels were following the amended Ordinance or not.
It was argued that certain vigilance and monitoring teams of the Pemra were working and they could examine whether Pemra rules were followed by channels or not. The petitioners’ counsel further contended that the amendments in the Pemra Ordinance only apply to news channels but the respondents have banned the transmission of petitioners’ sports, entertainment and music channels which has caused heavy financial loss to them.
He mentioned that, due to the ban on Geo Super, Pakistani viewers remained deprived of watching matches of Pakistan-India cricket series, while, on the other hand, the transmission of several other channels were being allowed to go on air by the respondents which is discriminatory and unjustified.
During the hearing, Justice Syed Mehmood Alam Rizvi asked why such discrimination was being meted against the petitioners’ channels and instructed the DAG to seek instructions from the federal government as to why transmission of sports, music and entertainment channels of the petitioners were not being allowed to go on air.
Source: The News
Date:11/13/2007
” 
” 
” 
” 
” 
