Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday summoned record of actions taken by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regularity Authority (PEMRA) over programs against defamation of judges on electronic media.
One-member bench comprising Justice Shaukat Hussain Siddiqui heard the proceedings of the case for which a writ petition filed by a Karachi-based citizen Nadeem Ahmad through his lawyer Barrister Akram Sheikh. The IHC directed PEMRA to present all the show cause notices before the court on October 19 that were issued to TV channels. Federal Secretary Information and Broadcasting Rasheed and PEMRA Chairman Dr Javed Jabbar were present before the court. Counsel of PEMRA, Rizwan Faiz told the court this matter was sub judice in the Supreme Court and all the court’s orders were being implemented. He said that the PEMRA was cooperation with government agencies in this regard. He stated that PEMRA has formulated new regulations for preventing defamatory programs against judges of the apex courts on TV channels that are provided on the web site of the PEMRA and all TV channels are also notified. Upon which, Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui said one person used to pass defamatory comments against the apex courts and he questioned that what were the actions PEMRA had taken in this regard. Jabbar accepted that some TV channels had on-aired defamatory programs against apex courts in which defamatory remarks were passed against the chief justice of Pakistan and other judges.
He said that it was the violation of conditions of the license issued by the PEMRA to those TV channels.
Auditor general asks PEMRA to recover Rs 11M for misuse of official vehicles
Pakistan Auditor General raised objections over misuse of 23 vehicles by PEMRA and asked the authority to recover an expenditure of over Rs 11 million. According to audit observations the management of PEMRA had allowed 15 vehicles to its General Managers (BS-19) who were non-entitled officers. PEMRA had also placed 8 vehicles on protocol duty, which was not allowed in the Staff Cars Rules, 1980. The audit held that the total expenditure of Rs 11.040 million on POL and repair and maintenance of non-entitled officers’ vehicles and as protocol vehicles was irregular. It asked PEMRA to stop the practice of allowing vehicles to non-entitled officers along with a recovery of expenditure.
