ISLAMABAD: The caretaker government in compliance with the Supreme Court’s (SC) orders made an amendment in the PEMRA Ordinance on Thursday, leading to the conclusion of a six-year-long case of the media commission which spanned 100 hearings.
The order had been passed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Mian Saqib Nisar during the hearing of the media commission case a day earlier on June 6 after journalist Hamid Mir’s petition was filed.
Mir had sought a change in Section 5 and 6 of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulating Authority (PEMRA) Ordinance.
The amendment curtails the federal government’s authority while increasing that of PEMRA’s chairman.
Furthermore, the number of PEMRA members has been reduced from 11 to eight, while it will be mandatory for five out of these eight members to be non-government officials.
Soon after the amendment was made, Hamid Mir and Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) counsel Aitzaz Ahsan requested the CJP to put the case to rest.
