SC upholds SHC decision barring Pemra from suspending TV channel licences.

The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a high court judgement revoking the suspension of broadcast media licences by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority's (Pemra).

A three-member SC bench, headed by Justice Ijazul Ahsan and also comprising Justices Munib Akhtar and Sayyed Mazhar Ali Akbar Naqvi, issued the verdict on the authority's plea challenging the Sindh High Court's (SHC) 2021 ruling.

In its ruling last year, the SHC had held that the power to suspend broadcast media licences contained in Section 30 of the Pemra Ordinance 2002 could not be delegated to the authority's chairman or any official without framing rules.

The ruling was issued on a plea filed by the Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA).

During today's hearing, Justice Akhtar noted that the power to suspend licences could be given to the Pemra head but questioned under what rules and laws it would be delegated.

'Can the authority (Pemra) give the powers to hire or dismiss a grade three officer?'...