Barrister Muhammad Ahmad Pansota has been appointed as the Chairperson of Council of Complaints, PEMRA, Lahore.
Council of Complaints, PEMRA, is a body established under Section 26 of PEMRA Ordinance, 2002, to facilitate public complaints against any aspect of broadcast media or cable TV operators.
PEMRA appointment has come after demands of effective role of the body to regulate media issues.
In February, Prime Minister Imran Khan said he could not get justice through PEMRA when a fake news was run against him.
Read more: PEMRA’s Dictatorial Order: PTI Leaders Regard it As Illogical & Unnecessary
PM while talking to media said that a TV channel ran a fake story against him. PEMRA took action against that channel. But the channel took stay order from a court against PEMRA.
Government bodies like PEMRA need a strong team with legal sense that could fight against such stay orders.
PEMRA’s role was also widely discussed when a debate erupted on Sarmad Khoosat’s film TAMASHA.
The government seems to improve PEMRA’s role in complaint resolutions. Complaints bloated recently when Aurat March debate on channels started. On Tuesday, first appointment was witnessed as a change in media regulating body.
Barrister Pansota was notified as the new chairperson of PEMRA Council Lahore on Tuesday.
Barrister Pansota, studied Aitchison College, Lahore, and completed his graduation in LLB (Hons) from University College Lahore, (External Program). He did his Bar-at-Law from Inns of Court School Law, London and was called to the bar at Lincolns Inn, London, in the year 2005.
Read more: PEMRA bans Indian advertisements, cracks down on Indian movies sales
He started his career with Cornelius, Lane & Mufti and became a founding partner of Ahmed & Pansota (Advocates & Legal Consultants) in 2007.
Barrister Pansota specializes in the field of litigation and is practicing in the areas of Public Interest, Constitutional, Banking, Criminal, Civil, Revenue, Corporate, Employment, Labour, Regulatory, Harassment, Intellectual Property and Service law. He regularly appears before the higher and sub-ordinate court of the country.
Barrister Pansota also figures, as a legal analyst, in a weekly talk show called Zanjeer-e-Adal, on Capital TV and other national TV channels. He also writes for various newspapers on current legal issues.
Barrister also teaches at Kinnaird and Blackstone School of Law.
Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority is an independent regulatory body that was established to improve the quality of dissemination of information to the public.
PEMRA also have a complaint centre with (0800-73672) toll-free number that is active 24 hours a day. PEMRA has urged the public to place their complaints through this complaint centre.