LHC stops implementation of Pemra’s notification regarding TV anchors

LAHORE (92 News) – The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday stopped Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) from taking any action against anchorpersons and implementation of Pemra’s notification preventing TV anchors from giving their opinions during talk shows. A petition filed, senior journalist Arif Hameed Bhatti among others, against the PEMRA’s notification was heard by Justice Shahid Waheed at the LHC today. In the petition, the anchors challenged a recent directive issued by the regulatory body, which barred TV anchors from giving their opinions during talk shows, until further orders from court. The Information Ministry and PEMRA were named respondents in the application which maintained that the PEMRA’s instruction was in violation of Article 19. The petitioner further pleaded the court to suspend the regulatory authority’s order until a final decision by the judiciary. The court banned the notification of Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority and sent notices to all respondents to submit their replies on the matter. In its notification issued last week, the authority said: “As per PEMRA code of conduct, the role of anchors is to moderate the programs in an objective, unbiased and impartial manner, excluding themselves from the personal opinions, biases and judgments on any issue. Therefore, anchors hosting regular shows should not appear in TV shows whether own or other channels as subject matter experts.”