The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has granted a stay on the collection of over Rs. 50 billion in Annual Gross Advertisement Revenue by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) from television channels.
The stay order was issued on the Pakistan Broadcasters Association’s (PBA) petition and others filed through Advocate Faisal Siddiqi.
The petitioner requested the court to declare the Annual Gross Advertisement Revenue imposed by Schedule-B to the PEMRA Rules, 2009, in violation of the Constitution, PEMRA Ordinance, 2002, PEMRA Rules, 2009, without jurisdiction, illegal, and of no legal effect.
“Permanently restrain the Respondent No.1 [PEMRA] from taking any adverse and/or coercive action against the Petitioners No.2 to 9 and other members of the Petitioner No.1, in relation to the imposition and recovery of Annual Gross Advertisement Revenue including but not limited to, in pursuant of Schedule-B to the PEMRA Rules, 2009,” the petition further said.
