ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday issued notices to secretaries of ministries of Information and Interior as well as chairmen of Pemra and PTA to submit their comments on a petition against disclosure of the identity of rape victims.
After initial hearing, a bench of the high court issued notices to the official respondents to furnish their replies on the petition within 15 days.
The petition pleaded with the court to issue directives for the authorities concerned to ensure that the identity of rape victims is not disclosed in any way.
Apart from a criminal act, the disclosure of identity breached Electronic Media (Programs and Advertisements) Code of Conduct, 2015, it argued.
It stated that such an act is liable for punishment up to three years’ imprisonment if details of a rape victim are revealed without the necessary permission of the victim, parents or officer in charge of the police station or investigation officer or the court.
Therefore, the petitioner, requested the court to issue directives for the authorities to restrain newspapers, TV channels and social media users from disclosing the identity of victims of rape.
The petition has been filed in the wake of a series of rape cases which have surfaced and made it to the headlines of late.
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