Pemra orders suspension of Zara Hut Kay for three days

Home » Pemra orders suspension of Zara Hut Kay for three days

Freedom of Expression, Front Page

March 21, 2017

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) has ordered the suspension of Zara Hut Kay, a Dawn News programme, for three days with effect from Wednesday (March 22).

The regulator made the decision under section 27 of the Pemra Ordinance 2002 after a brief hearing held in Pemra’s head office on March 17. It was attended by Mubashir Zaidi, one of the three presenters of the programme.

Mr Zaidi and the two other presenters of Zara Hut Kay, Wusatullah Khan and Zarrar Khuhro, were given show cause notices by Pemra for making comments on a reference pending before the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) against Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) during an episode of the programme on March 9.

Pemra had issued the notice on March 10, asking the channel to explain its position and appear before a committee tasked with hearing the case.

The show cause notice pointed out that discussing a matter pending before the SJC was a violation of section 20 (c) of Pemra Ordinance 2002, Rule 15(1) of Pemra Rules 2009 and clauses 3 (1-j), 4(3) of Electronic Media (Programmes and Advertisements) Code of Conduct 2015.

In his submissions to the court, Mubashir Zaidi said neither he nor any of his two colleagues intended to slander or show contempt for the judiciary in the programme, Zara Hut Kay.

Dawn

Recently Added

Journalist Murtaza Ali Shah Faces Threats from India Over Khalistan Coverage

April 9, 2024

Journalist Murtaza Ali Shah Faces Threats from India Over Khalistan Coverage

April 9, 2024

Supreme Court Takes Strong Stance on Misinformation, Media Regulation, and Journalist Harassment

April 6, 2024

Supreme Court Takes Strong Stance on Misinformation, Media Regulation, and Journalist Harassment

April 6, 2024

Journalist Misbehavior Case: PTI’s Faisal Javed Khan Indicted

March 15, 2024

Islamabad High Court (IHC) directs NADRA to restore citizenship of JUI-F leader, Declares PEMRA order of restraining TV channels from inviting, projecting the petitioner in talk shows as illegal.

May 20, 2021

Islamabad High Court (IHC) directs NADRA to restore citizenship of JUI-F leader, Declares PEMRA order of restraining TV channels from inviting, projecting the petitioner in talk shows as illegal.

May 20, 2021

Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority instructs television channels not to criticize the state’s anti-corruption institution.

March 30, 2021

Introduction of PCOMS

Pakistan Coalition on Media Safety (PCOMS) is a national alliance of concerned civil society agents, media development groups, journalists’ bodies and media entities collaborating with a one point agenda – to jointly push for protection of journalists and making Pakistan a safer place for media practitioners. Established in 2013 with support from Open Society Foundations, International Media Support and UNESCO, PCOMS has been instrumental in bringing together national stakeholders and interfacing them with international experts working on media freedom globally.