GEO’s Jeem smiles again as PEMRA overturns its 5 member decision to suspend Geo and seal its offices.
Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority’s (PEMRA) has declared as illegal the authority’s Tuesday’s meeting , which suspended the licences of three Geo Group tv channels.
The clarification came on the heels of a meeting held by the five members of the authority out of a total quorum of 12 members.
“Pemra disowns the decisions announced by three of its members regarding cancellation of Geo TV (Entertainment), Geo News, and Geo Tez licenses as the meeting, during which these actions were taken, was unauthorized”, said an official clarification issued here on Tuesday evening.
The watchdog’s private members Israr Abbasi, Mian Shams, Shama Parveen Magsi, Zaiba Hassan and Fareeha Iftikhar met here and suspended three Jang/Geo Group channels’ licences to broadcast. They also issued orders to seal the offices of the media group.
The Pemra handout made it clear Tuesday’s meeting, which it termed as informal, held no legal standing as it was convened without following the laid down standard operating procedures.
“According to Rule 3(4) of PEMRA Rules 2009, the chairman or as the case may be more than half of the total members can call the meeting i.e. out of 12 members at least 7 members can call a meeting,” it explained.
It further said that executive member was not even asked to officially convene the meeting and notify it through the secretary to the authority, which was the set procedure.
“The meeting convened by those five private members is without any officially intimation or invitation to other members in accordance with the set procedure”, it added.
