On Thursday, a plea was sent to the Lahore High Court (LHC) asking that a notice from the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) that said the media couldn’t show tickers and headlines of court proceedings be thrown out.
On top of that, the notice said that only written court decisions should be reported.
According to the petitioner, Samra Malik, the PEMRA’s correction is against the public’s right to information.
She also said that the action went against Section 19-A of Pakistan’s Constitution of 1973 and Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which says that “everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression.” This includes the right to seek, receive, and share information through any media.
The petitioner also said that free speech must be protected by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which over 150 countries must follow.
The petitioner also said that the International Criminal Court (ICC) allows sessions to be broadcasted to make the court more open and give everyone access to justice. The ICC also takes steps to protect the identities of witnesses who are vulnerable. Also, since 1990, the Supreme Court of Canada has let live TV broadcasts of cases happen.
“PEMRA does not have the power to make such an order, which goes against democratic norms and violates basic human rights.” The petition said, “In the past, Islamic courts held their proceedings in public to make sure that justice was not only done but also seen to be done.”
