LAHORE: A petition was filed before the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday seeking initiation of contempt proceedings against Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) Chairman Absar Alam over his alleged failure to stop airing of “anti-judiciary speeches by some PML-N leaders and the one delivered by ousted premier Nawaz Sharif at a lawyers convention”. The petition was filed by Amina Malik, who also runs a civil society organisation. Counsel for petitioner Muhammad Azhar Siddique stated that the LHC on August 24 had order the PEMRA chairman to ensure compliance of the PEMRA ordinance. He alleged that the chairman had miserably failed to comply with the order as a “contemptuous speech delivered by Nawaz Sharif at a lawyers convention was broadcasted live by all news channels”. He stated that clause 3 (c) (j) and 4 (6) of Electronic Media Code of Conduct, 2015, clearly restrains everyone from criticising institution of judiciary and as well as armed forces but “Nawaz Sharif and others have been persistently criticising the judiciary and also the law enforcement agencies”. He stated that the PEMRA chief had failed to implement the court’s order. He stated that Nawaz Sharif was trying to sabotage integrity of the state institutions and the PEMRA chairman had been offering him a logistic support by allowing him to make “contemptuous” speeches on the media. He stated that it was a common practice of the PEMRA to not act in accordance with the law and not obey orders of the courts, which itself was a crime and attracted criminal proceedings against the authorities. He requested the court to initiate contempt proceedings against the PEMRA chairman for committing contempt of court by not implementing an earlier order. Published in Daily Times, August 29th 2017.