The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) on Saturday served show cause notices to 14 news channels for failing to act upon its advisory to avoid commenting on references filed in the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) against senior judges, a press release by the regulatory authority said.
The channels that received the notices include Geo News, Dawn News, Dunya News, ARY News, Channel 24, 92 News, Express News, Aaj News, Abb Takk News, GNN, Samaa TV, Sach News and Koh-i-Noor.
The PEMRA directed the said news channels to ensure that orders issued by the Supreme Court and the SJC as well as advisories issued by the regulatory authority were acted upon and warned against further violation. The body also ordered the aforementioned channels to submit a response by June 11.
On Friday, the PEMRA had barred all television channels from airing news, discussion or analysis on the issue except for the news on the reference filed by the government against the judges for allegedly owning undeclared properties abroad.
Citing the July 7, 2018 judgement of the Supreme Court, the PEMRA recalled that directives were issued to the media that no media discussion, articles or editorials would be written or published and no public comments be made on the proceedings of the SJC, and only the proceedings would be reported.
Moreover, the Supreme Court, through its remarks on a September 12, 2018 suo motu case, had also prohibited discussions on sub judice matters. The PEMRA warned that in case of non-compliance, the authority would proceed in accordance with the PEMRA Ordinance 2002.
