LHC asks Pemra to stop broadcast of anti-judiciary speeches

The Lahore High Court on Monday directing the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) to stop broadcasting anti-judiciary speeches directed to dispose the complaints against Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and other PML-N leaders within a fortnight. The bench upheld an objection of the registrar's office on the maintainability of an application of Nawaz Sharif challenging the composition of the bench.
A full bench headed by Justice Syed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi was hearing petitions against the failure of Pemra to stop the broadcast of alleged anti-judiciary speeches. The bench further directed the Pemra to ensure that no material carrying hatred against the judiciary was broadcast. Earlier, Salman Akram Raja advocate appearing on behalf of the Pemra argued that unnecessary objections had been raised on the powers of the authority. He said the Pemra had decided the complaints while exercising its powers under the law. Justice Mazahar Ali Naqvi, however observed that the Pemra prima facie allowed airing of anti-judiciary speeches by dismissing the complaints on technical grounds. Advocate Raja pointed out that another bench of the court had advised the petitioner to approach the Pemra and asked the bench to refer the instant matter also to the authority. The petitioners' counsel Azhar Siddique argued that the Pemra intentionally failed to take action the broadcast of anti-judiciary speeches despite complaints lodged before it. He said the authority dismissed the complaints on non prosecution instead of merits.
The counsel argued that Article 68 of the Constitution even carried a restriction on discussion in Parliament with respect to the conduct of any judge of the Supreme Court or of a high court in the discharge of his duties. Justice Mazhar Ali Naqvi at this regretted that people having no knowledge of law were seen criticizing the judgments of the courts in television programmes. Advocate Azhar further argued that the Pemra had been failed to establish its independence as a regulator.
Besides Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, the respondents include sitting prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, federal ministers Khwaja Saad Rafiq, Talal Chaudhry, Danyal Aziz, Ahsan Iqbal, Khwaja Muhammad Asif, Abid Sher Ali, Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif, former information minister Pervez Rasheed and convicted senator Nehal Hashmi.