LHC stays DTH licensing bidding process by Pemra

The Lahore High Court on Tuesday stayed DTH (Direct-To-Home) licensing bidding process by Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) till decision on petitions against the rules for grant of the licence. The bidding process was scheduled for November 23. The stay was issued on applications filed by Independent Newspaper Corporation and others. The court had already heard the main case against the Pemra's rules on DTH licences and reserved its verdict.
The applicants argued that since the decision in main case is yet to be announced, the bidding of the DTH licensing should be delayed. Pemra's counsel Salman Akram Raja opposed the stay applications. He argued that no right of the applicants had been infringed. He asked the court to dismiss the applications. The court, however, observed that since important questions of law and valuable rights were involved in the case, the tender could not be opened till the decision of the court.