LHC ban airing videos, photos of motorway gang-rape victim, suspects

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) has imposed a ban on broadcasting videos and photos of gang-rape victim and suspects including Abid Malhi in motorway gang-rape case, ARY News reported on Thursday.

The Chief Justice of Lahore High Court (CJ LHC) Muhammad Qasim Khan issued a written order regarding a petition filed against the ban on media coverage of motorway gang-rape case.

Read: PEMRA bans media coverage of Lahore motorway gang rape case

The high court stated in its three-page written order that a ban is being imposed on broadcasting videos and photos to disclose the identities of the gang-rape victim, accused and co-accused.

Moreover, the high court summoned the records of press conferences organised by ministers and advisers regarding the arrests of the suspects.

A verdict given by a trial court for the imposition of a ban on reporting of motorway incident has been suspended by the LHC chief justice. It read that the anti-terrorism court’s judge had not taken care of the Punjab Witness Protection Act while imposing a ban on reporting.

Read: Identity parade of Lahore motorway gang rape suspect held

It added that the ATC had ordered Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) to stop print and social media from covering the incident which was not within its domain and ‘against the spirit of the Statute’.

The high court directed PEMRA to fully implement the recent order and adjourned the hearing for one week.

Earlier on October 2, Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) had imposed a ban on media coverage of Lahore motorway gang rape case following the orders of an anti-terrorism court. The PEMRA had conveyed its decision via handout sent to all television channels and other broadcasters.