ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) Tuesday discussed the complaint of ministry of defence against Geo TV for hurling accusation at the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in connection with attack on Hamid Mir.
After the initial hearing of the matter, a three-member committee including acting Chairman Pemra Perviz Rathor, Ismail Shah and Israr Abbasi adjourned the hearing for May 9.
Advocate Akram Sheikh, who represents the federation in high treason case against former military ruler General (Retd) Pervez Musharraf, appeared on behalf of the Geo TV whereas Senator Dr Babar Awan represented the ministry of defence.
The proceedings, which according to sources, lasted for five hours could not move forward from one point that the hearing of the matter was not possible as the authority was incomplete and did not have a chairman.
Advocate Akram Sheikh contended that Pemra was incomplete and prior to probing the matter the chairman of the authority should be appointed, sources told The Nation.
The government had given acting charge of Pemra to Rathor after sacking Chaudhry Rasheed, former chairman Pemra.
Earlier in April, President Mamnoon Hussain on the advice of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had sacked Rasheed.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif had submitted before the Pemra a complaint seeking cancellation of the licence of Geo TV.
SC admits petition against Hamid Mir, others
Terence J Sigamony adds: After removing the objections of the registrar office on Zahid Hamid’s petition against Hamid Mir and other TV anchorpersons, the Supreme Court on Tuesday decided to fix it for hearing in the open court.
Zahid Hamid who is popularly known for his red cap and has allegedly links with the intelligence agencies, filed a petition in 2012 against Hamid Mir and various anchorpersons of private television channels through advocate Ahmed Raza Kasuri who is defending former President and COAS General (r) Pervez Musharraf in the Special Court in the high treason case.
Zahid Hamid had made the federation, the Ministry of Law and Justice, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, South Asia Free Media Association, Hamid Mir, Nusrat Javeed, Imtiaz Alam, Marvi Sarmad, Najam Sethi, Hassan Nisar, Ali Chishti, Khalid Ahmed, and Asma Jehangir respondents.
In his application, he had contended that the TV anchors through their programmes had launched a campaign against the ideology of Pakistan and Allama Iqbal and were trying to sabotage the basic philosophy of the country, which was a crime against the state. He prayed to the Supreme Court to order the government to register a high treason case against them for launching propaganda against the country.
The registrar office had raised objections on the petition that the applicant was not an affected party and the Supreme Court was not the proper forum for such concerns.
Ahmed Raza Kasuri Tuesday told the reporters at the Supreme Court building that he had filed the petition on behalf of Zahid Hamid, which could not be taken up in the last two years. He said today (Tuesday) Justice Sarmad Jalal Osmany heard his application in his chamber and, after removing the SC registrar objections, sent the matter to the chief justice for fixing and hearing in the open court.