Lahore High Court lifts PEMRA ban on airing Indian plays

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 18 July 2017

The Lahore High Court declared PEMRA's ban on Indian teleplays null and void. The decision comes after the federal government raised no objections to airing such content.

Summary

ISLAMABAD – The Lahore High Court (LHC) Tuesday lifted a ban imposed by Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) on airing Indian teleplays, declaring it null and void as the federal government had no objections in this regard.

On October 19, 2016, PEMRA imposed a blanket ban on all Indian content on private television channels after relations between Pakistan and India soured following the Uri attack last year.

A PEMRA press release issued Tuesday said M/S Leo Communications, TV channel Filmazia’s parent organization sought to overturn the ban as it had not been imposed by the Government of Pakistan.

The petition challenged the PEMRA circular as being beyond the powers of the regulatory body and the constitution, and claimed that the government was indulging in ‘selective patriotism’ because even though Indian movies were allowed to be screened all over the country, they could not be aired on television.

Although PEMRA ban on airing Indian films was lifted in February this year, permission to air teleplays or television dramas was not granted.

The petitioner’s counsel Asma Jehangir argued in court Tuesday that a ban on Indian teleplays appeared bizarre while Indian films were openly being aired.