LHC issues notice to Pemra for restricting ‘hugs, caressing, bed scenes’ in dramas

The Lahore High Court (LHC) issued notice to the Pakistan Electronic and Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) on Tuesday, seeking its reply on a plea challenging a notification wherein television channels had been directed to refrain from airing caress and hug scenes in Pakistani dramas, reports Dawn.

In the plea taken up by Justice Jawad Hassan on Saturday, the petitioner contended that Pemra’s notification was “illegal” and “contrary to the ethos of the Pemra Ordinance 2002”.

It argued that Pemra had no authority to issue directions such as those mentioned in the notification and that the media regulator’s move was based on “malafide, ulterior motives and was in sheer violation of the fundamental rights of the petitioner”.

The petitioner said the issuance of the notification was indicative of the “sick mentality of Pemra authorities and termed the directives discriminatory”.

Moreover, “the impugned advice has been passed without any prior discussion with the stakeholders or the affectees of the advice [and] therefore, is violative of the Article 10-A of the Constitution,” the petitioner argued in the plea.

On October 21, Pemra issued its official notice, which said, “In continuation to earlier directions of the authority issued from time to time wherein, it was conveyed that Satellite TV channels are indulged in airing objectionable dramas/ content based on indecent dressing, caressing, bed scenes and gestures sensitive/ controversial unnecessary detailing of the event(s), which are highly disturbing, distressing for the viewers and against the commonly accepted standards of decency.”

It also added, “On the prevalent trends in Pakistani drama industry, Pemra is not only receiving numerous complaints from the general public on Pakistan Citizen Portal (PCP) and media/ What’s App groups.”

“All Satellite TV channels are hereby directed to refrain from airing caress/ hug scenes in dramas and properly review the content of the dramas through In-House Monitoring Committee and edit/ amend the same by giving due consideration to above reservations and apprehension of the viewers.”