LAHORE - Chief Justice Lahore High Court, Khawaja Muhammad Sharif Wednesday directed Federal Information and Broadcasting minister and chairman Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) to immediately restore broadcastings of all private news channels being blocked allegedly in the wake of flashing some news reports regarding shoe-throwing incident at President Asif Zardari in Birmingham, UK. The chief justice also directed the chairman Pemra to submit reply and para-wise comments in the court on August 19 to explain the reasons why TV channels were being victimised by blockage of their broadcastings across the country. The CJ passed the order on a petition of Muhammad Ashraf Gondal filed through his counsel Muhammad Araf Gondal advocate challenging blockage of private TV channels by Pemra on the hidden instructions of the federal government and PPP leadership. During the proceedings, counsel for petitioner contended that this country was already facing hardships due to floods and some other unfortunate incidents, while different news channels has been closed by the government. He submitted that in retaliation to the news on TV channels about incident of shoe throwing at President Asif Zardari, the PPP workers and leaders are protesting and attacking offices of famous news channels to stop them from such reporting by terrorising entire electronic media. He said PPP workers are burning the copies of newspapers of a renowned media group besides attacks of the PPP workers at offices of various TV channels across the country. The petitioner maintained that President Asif Zardari and the rest of PPP leadership is taking revenge from electronic media for highlighting the news about the shoe incidents, the devastating floods and unsatisfactory relief measures by the government. Deputy Attorney General Nadeem Kashmiri submitted that petitioner had not placed on record any order issued by Pemra for blocking broadcasting of new channels and until he brings any such orders his petition is not maintainable. He said reply should be taken from federal government to see whether or not the broadcasting of the said TV channels was blocked on government directions. However, the CJ observed that no reply can be sought of President Asif Zardari who is also a respondent in the petition along with federal information and Pemra. The CJ noted in his order, I think there will be no written order for blocking broadcasting of the news channels so it is not essential to demand such order for proving the case. The chief justice directed federal information minister and chairman Pemra to lift the blockage on broadcasting the news channels and file reply and para-wise comments in 7 seven days till August 19 on blocking of channels. The court directed deputy attorney general to convey orders to the respondents including Pemra and the federal government.