Lahore, November 11, 2024- The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) submitted a written statement to the Lahore High Court on Monday, clarifying that it has not imposed any restriction on broadcasting the name of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan.
The response came during a hearing before Justice Farooq Haider, following a petition filed by PTI member Akmal Khan Bari. The petitioner had alleged that media outlets were prohibited from using Imran Khan’s name in broadcasts. In its report, however, PEMRA stated that it had issued no such directive and that the petitioner had provided no evidence of any restriction by the authority.
PEMRA further argued that the petitioner’s case is already under review within PEMRA’s internal proceedings, making the application to the Lahore High Court inadmissible. The federal government’s counsel supported this stance, citing PEMRA’s ordinance, which specifies that such cases should not be brought directly to court.
With the petitioner’s lawyer unavailable, an assisting attorney explained that the primary counsel was occupied at the Supreme Court. Consequently, the court postponed the case indefinitely.
The petition contends that news channels are infringing on fundamental rights by avoiding mention of the PTI founder’s name and urges the court to ensure media outlets lift the alleged restriction.
