ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory jurisdiction (Pemra) chairman was found to lack the jurisdiction to revoke media networks’ licences on Tuesday, according to the Supreme Court.
In a nine-page ruling, Justice Muneeb Akhtar determined that the Pemra chairman’s authority to suspend the broadcast media licence was not legitimate. As a result, it was deemed null and void.
The court ruled that the chairman or any other person cannot suspend the licence because Section 13 of the Pemra Ordinance makes this plain. It said, “There are requirements for suspending a broadcast media licence.
At its 156th meeting, Pemra gave its chairman authority to suspend a licence, among other things. It was mandated by the Sindh High Court (SHC) to create guidelines for licence suspension.
The Pemra chairman’s authority had been contested by the Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA). The SHC’s ruling was confirmed by the Supreme Court, which ruled in favour of the PBA.
