Sindh High Court Reserves Judgment on Journalists’ Petition Challenging Pemra’s Court Coverage Restrictions

The Sindh High Court (SHC) on October 9 reserved its judgment on petitions filed by the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (Dastoor) and court reporters, who challenged directives issued by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) instructing television channels to refrain from airing tickers and headlines about ongoing court proceedings.
The journalists’ counsel, Abdul Moiz Jaferii and M. Tariq Mansoor argued that Pemra’s directives amounted to a blanket ban on covering court proceedings. They contended that these orders effectively amended the 2015 Pemra Code of Conduct without proper legal process. The lawyers emphasized that the directives violated the public’s right to information on matters of national importance, as guaranteed under Article 19-A of the Constitution.
Jaferii and Mansoor argued that Pemra’s move to restrict media coverage of court proceedings undermined the Constitution and violated Supreme Court judgements. They maintained that only the courts have the authority to limit media coverage, depending on the sensitivity of the proceedings. They requested the court to declare Pemra’s directives unconstitutional.
During the hearing, Chief Justice Mohammad Shafi Siddiqui, who headed the division bench, questioned Pemra’s stance on reporting court remarks. Pemra’s counsel argued that court proceedings were complex and challenging for the general public and even journalists to understand fully. He stated that Pemra’s concern stemmed from sensationalism spread via TV tickers during proceedings.
However, the SHC observed that the public has a right to be informed about the courts’ inquiries into public matters. The court questioned why Pemra sought to restrict such coverage, particularly when live telecasts of proceedings were allowed. The SHC remarked that Pemra’s argument seemed inconsistent, allowing live coverage but restricting non-live reports.
In response, Pemra’s counsel submitted that airing selective remarks from court sessions without context could mislead the public and cause societal confusion. He added that the Pemra board had formulated a code of conduct to govern such coverage and urged the court to uphold the directives.
On May 27, the SHC issued an interim order preventing the Pemra from taking coercive measures against television reporters covering court proceedings. In a separate related petition, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on June 11 also ruled that electronic media can report court proceedings, following the guidelines set by the Supreme Court.