On the directives of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, the caretaker setup on Thursday made an amendment to the PEMRA Ordinance preventing the federal government from arbitrarily shutting down TV channels’ transmission.
The amendment also decreased the number of PEMRA members from 11 to eight. Subsequently, the apex court wrapped up the media commission case that remained pending hearings for six years. A day earlier, during the hearing of the media commission case, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Mian Saqib Nisar had directed the caretaker government to make the amendments on journalist Hamid Mir’s petition.
Mir had requested a change in sections 5 and 6 of the Ordinance. The changes have rendered the federal government unable to shut down television channels by passing direct orders.
Following the amendment, the control of federal government has been curtailed, while the authority of the PEMRA chairman has been increased. Further, PEMRA members have been reduced from 11 to eight. Of the eight members, five will be non-government officials and three will be government officials. Following the amendment, Hamid Mir and Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) counsel Aitzaz Ahsan requested the CJP to wrap up the case. Subsequently, Justice Nisar disposed of the petition.
Published in Daily Times, June 8th 2018.
