PEMRA banned the coverage of motorway rape case

 News channels stopped to air news regarding this case

The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) on Friday directed all satellite TV channels to stop the motorway rape case's coverage. According to a notification issued by the authority, the airing of content related to the investigation of the case will diminish the "the evidentiary worth of the material collected by the prosecution". 

While imposing the ban, PEMRA referred to the order of a Lahore anti-terrorism court hearing the case. The court said that one of the accused in the case had been remanded into judicial custody for the purpose of identification parade.

It ruled that the media coverage of the case would diminish the evidentiary worth of the material gathered by the prosecution. “It is an offence related to sex, and certainly due to media coverage, concerned victim and her family will also be disgraced,” the court observed earlier in the day.

It directed the PEMRA chairman to stop coverage of the case. The regulator in turn asked all satellite TV channels to comply with the court order. “In case of non-compliance, PEMRA shall be constrained to initiate legal action,” it said.

Two robbers had allegedly gang-raped a woman in front of her children when her car broke down on the Lahore-Sialkot motorway last month in an area falling within Gujjarpura police station's jurisdiction.

The woman, along with her children, was driving to Gujranwala when she was forced to stop at around 1:30am at the Gujjarpura section of the motorway after reportedly running out of fuel.

She immediately called a relative and sent him her location. He asked her to also dial the Motorway Police helpline 130 from which she reportedly received no response.

In the meantime, two robbers reportedly approached the car, broke the window, and took the woman and her children to nearby bushes where they allegedly raped her in front of the children.

They also allegedly snatched her purse carrying Rs100, 000 in cash, one bracelet, car registration papers, and three ATM cards.

The case rattled the country and attracted additional anger after a police official seemed to blame the victim because she was driving at night without a male companion.

                                                              Rukhsana Manzoor Deputy Editor