The Lahore High Court (LHC) has lifted a ban imposed by Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) on the airing of Indian teleplays, declaring it null as the federal government had no objections regarding the same.

The petition challenged the Pemra circular as being beyond the powers of the regulatory body and the Constitution, and claimed that the government was involved in ‘selective patriotism’ because even though Indian movies were allowed to be screened all over the country, they could not be aired on television.

Although Pemra's ban on the airing of Indian films was lifted in February this year, permission to air teleplays or television dramas was not granted. The petitioner's counsel Asma Jehangir argued in court today that a ban on Indian teleplays appeared strange while Indian films were being openly aired.

LHC Chief Justice, Mansoor Ali Shah, stated that Indian content with objectionable or anti-Pakistan content could be censored but there was no need for a complete ban.  "The world has become a global village," Justice Shah reasoned.