The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has ordered ARY News to apologize to veteran journalist Asma Shirazi and pay her Rs. 50,000 in damages for the false reports published about her.
In response to Shirazi’s appeal against the December 21, 2022, ruling of the Pakistan Media Regulatory Authority’s (PEMRA) Council of Complaints, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani of the IHC rendered a decision. The court determined that the editorial team and airing committee of the third licensee/respondent (the TV channel) displayed negligence in their oversight.
This is evident from the incorrect placement of the appellant’s picture alongside news content, despite its lack of relevance to the specific story being broadcast by respondent No. 3, as stated in the verdict. The journalist claimed in her appeal that the TV channel deliberately made up information to make it seem like her journalism had been criticized during the Supreme Court proceedings. Shirazi asserted that PEMRA dismissed her complaint, deeming it non-maintainable, because she had not raised any legal points and that an appropriate avenue for defamation claims was accessible to her.
Thanks to Almighty: 🤲
Breaking: In my CMA to Islamabad High Court Asma Shirazi VS PEMRA Council of Complaints IHC's Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani passed an order in my favour and ordered ARY to broadcast an apology for their actions against me back in 2022 alongside paying… pic.twitter.com/8BJMcRPCp3— Asma Shirazi (@asmashirazi) December 4, 2023
The IHC emphasized that TV channels must accurately report the news as per PEMRA laws. The decision also noted that a senior journalist has the right to seek damages but clarified that it is not the court’s responsibility to determine the extent of damages in the absence of relevant record information. It was also mentioned that Shirazi retains the right to pursue damages through the appropriate legal channels under defamation laws.
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