SHC refuses stay against Pemra ban on private channel
KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Saturday turned down ARY News request for suspension of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority’s (Pemra) decision to suspend the broadcast of ARY transmission for 15 days and imposition of Rs10 million fine for airing contemptuous programme against the superior judiciary.
The ARY News filed a petition in the Sindh High Court against the Pemra’s order that suspended the broadcast of ARY for 15 days and imposed a fine of Rs10 million.
The petition was fixed before the SHC’s division bench, headed by Justice Irfan Sadaat Khan and Justice Zafar Ahmed Rajput.
The ARY News also filed an injunction application seeking the suspension of Pemra’s order of June 20. The court after hearing at length the arguments of the ARY’s counsel refused to suspend the operation of Pemra’s order, however, issued notices to the Pemra DG and others for June 30.
A legal expert outside the court said as the matter is sub-judice, ARY cannot file any other petition in other high courts seeking the same relief. Further, under the Pemra Ordinance 2002, any aggrieved party may file an appeal under Section 30-A and in a number of judgments the SHC has already declared that the Constitutional Petition against the order of Pemra is not maintainable because an alternative remedy in the form of Section 30-A of Pemra Ordinance is available.
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