SC admits petition against TV channels

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 18 August 2013

The Supreme Court is set to hear a petition against television channels for their coverage of the August 15 incident involving a gunman in Islamabad. The petition calls for the formation of a judicial commission to investigate the incident and hold those responsible accountable.

Summary

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court is to begin hearing a petition against the media/all television channels Monday for telecasting the August 15 incident involving a gunman who brought Islamabad to a standstill for five hours.

Daily Times reported Sunday a three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry will hear the petition requesting formation of a judicial commission to probe the incident and book those responsible.

Daily Times said the Chief Justice expressed resentment over the irresponsible television coverage while hearing the Balochistan target killing case on August 16. He directed the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) to take action against the management of those channels. “The live coverage of Jinnah Avenue-like incidents is against the norms, and causes panic among the public,” the CJP remarked while criticizing the reporting by TV channels. Likewise, the SC on Saturday also decided to take up a petition, filed by Advocate Tariq Asad, who has prayed that action should be taken against PEMRA for allowing TV channels to telecast live transmission of such terrorism which is against their code of conduct. He has made the federation through the interior secretary, the Islamabad inspector general, the PEMRA chairman and the Islamabad chief commissioner as respondents.