ISLAMABAD: Journalists, anchorpersons and media analysts have withdrawn their petition in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to put off the ban on the broadcasting of speeches of proclaimed offenders including Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif by Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), ARY News reported on Wednesday.
Renowned journalists, anchorpersons and media analysts had moved to the IHC in November last year to challenge the decision of Pemra to impose a ban on the broadcast of speeches and interviews by proclaimed offenders and absconders.
In the latest development, the petitioners withdrew its petition to seek annulment of the Pemra’s ban on airing the speeches of Nawaz Sharif and other proclaimed offenders.
Lawyer of the petitioners Salman Akram Raja told the IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah that they did not want to create an impression to act as an agent of any individual. Raja said that another petition will be filed in the court on new grounds.
Read: ‘Can’t provide relief to fugitive’: IHC on plea against ban on airing Nawaz speeches
Justice Athar Minallah remarked that the move created a wrong impression as the names of prominent personalities appeared in the petition.
After the withdrawal of the petition, the high court dismissed the plea.
On October 1 last year, Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) had barred television channels from airing the speeches of the absconding accused and proclaimed offenders.
The regulatory body in a handout issued barred to broadcast the speeches and interviews of proclaimed offenders and absconders on national television. The PEMRA had also barred the broadcast of any sort of debate on the possible outcome of the undergoing trials.
The decision has come after the speeches of the absconding three-time Prime Minister and PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif were broadcasted on the national television and the government demanded the authorities to take notice of it.
