According to a report in Dawn, the TV analyst had filed the appeal against PEMRA, the organisation’s regional general manager, the information ministry and Senator Azam Khan Swati.
On Tuesday, PEMRA had banned Hafeezullah for allegedly making ‘defamatory’ remarks against Swati in the programme ‘Report Card’ aired on Geo TV on July 6.
The TV analyst had put forth certain allegations against Senator Swati which the channel could not back before the Council of Complaints. The council had given the TV channel sufficient time to the TV channel to prove its comments but had not received a satisfactory reply.
In the petition submitted by Hafeezullah Niazi, he had declared the ban ‘illegal’ and argued that he had not received a show cause notice or summons from the Council of Complaints. He contended that this was a violation of Article 10A of the constitution which gave every citizen the right to fair trail.
He further argued that PEMRA’s order was given without any proof or reasoning, and that the remark for which he had been penalised was referring to a ‘statement made by the relative of Imran Khan and was not his own personal statement'. Hafeezullah further said in the petition that this relative mentioned in the said statement was never summoned for his testimony.
The TV analyst requested the court to set aside the order of the media regulatory body ‘in the interest of justice’ and summon the prime minister’s ‘relative’ whose statement he had referred to.
Hafeezullah further requested the court to suspend PEMRA’s order until a verdict regarding the petition was issued.
Hafeezullah's Comments About Azam Swati
The TV analyst had claimed that a relative of the prime minister had claimed that Swati was banned from entering the United States as he was involved in insurance fraud.
Swati had stated in response that Hafeezullah’s statements had damaged his credibility.
Swati said that he had been in the United States from 1978 to 2001 and had no case registered against him, adding that he intended to file a defamation suit against Hafeezullah and Geo TV claiming Rs1billion.