The Islamabad High Court has issued a written order on applications challenging a Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) notification banning court reporting.
The court has granted permission for court proceedings to be reported by the media, subject to guidelines outlined in a Supreme Court judgement.
The IHC chief justice issued a written order approving the request to postpone the PEMRA hearing and directed the case to be fixed for hearing in the first week of July.
This decision comes in response to petitions filed by the Islamabad High Court Journalist Association, press association, and Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), challenging the PEMRA notification.
Also Read: Court reporting: IHC stops PEMRA from taking action against TV
On May 24, the IHC had issued notices to PEMRA and the information secretary in response to a petition challenging the authority’s ban on reporting court proceedings. The court halted PEMRA from taking any disciplinary actions against television channels under the current notification.
The court also issued a notice regarding a miscellaneous petition seeking to suspend the PEMRA notification entirely. This action reflects the ongoing legal contention surrounding the regulation of media reporting of judicial proceedings and the balance between media freedom and judicial integrity.
