Division Bench of the Supreme Court in its latest judgment, titled as PEMRA versus ARY (C.P 3506/2020), dilating upon the powers of PEMRA to regulate the media channels held such powers cannot be exercised by the PEMRA independent of the Council of Complaint. SC held that powers conferred on PEMRA under section 27(a) of the Ordinance cannot be exercised in isolation,independently and without having resort to Council of Complaint under section 26 of the Ordinance which section empowers Council of Complaint to render its opinion on any aspect of the program. Dismissing the Petition at the end, the Court held as “we are of the considered opinion that Section 27(a) of the PEMRA Ordinance is not an independent and self–governing provision; it rather requires for its applicability the opinion of a Council of Complaints regarding the objectionable aspect of a programme or advertisement in terms of Section 26(2) of the PEMRA Ordinance read with the Councils of Complaints Rules. The question is answered accordingly.”
c.p._3506_2020
