IHC issues show cause notice to Chairman PEMRA.

ISLAMABAD -- The Chief Justice Islamabad High Court Justice Athar Minallah issued show cause notice to Chairman Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) Muhammad Saleem Baig for using the court's name without prior permission or context as means of persuasion to enforce strict guidelines on media houses. The court said that chairman PEMRA has not authority to issue the directive.

Islamabad High Court issued the orders during Tuesday's hearing of a contempt of court case against media channels who had transgressed legal boundaries and discusses sub-judice matters in live programs.

Justice Athar Minallah during the court proceedings remarked that misusing the court's name won't be tolerated and those found guilty would be penalised.

IHC also took the lawyer representing the regulatory body to task and asked him to provide a transcript of all the programs in question who had gone against the law and stepped over legal boundaries.

The top court judge also said that such conjecture brought a bad name to the court's esteem and gave way to unneeded hearsay which could be damaging to court proceedings and adversely effect cases being heard.

Addressing the Chairman PEMRA, Justice Athar Minallah said that prima facie you have committed the contempt of court. Chief justice addressing the chairman PEMRA said that whether federal government had issued any directions to you. Chief justice addressing the chairman PEMRA said you have a lot of powers but did not enjoy authority to issue such directions. Chief justice said who give you the authority to say that one anchor could not go in another program. Chief justice said that if there was any ambiguity then...