PEMRA is responsible to implement SC’s order: LHC

LAHORE: Justice Ijazul Hassan of Lahore High Court (LHC) ordered on Tuesday that Pakistan Electronic Media Regularity Authority (PEMRA) is a regulatory body and it is its responsibility to implement Supreme Court’s judgment in letter and spirit, Geo News reported.

The LHC was hearing the petition today filed by the Independent Media Corporation (IMC) against PEMRA and cable operators who have shut Geo channels unlawfully in most areas of the country despite SC’s order to restore the transmission.

Justice Ijazul Hassan remarked that cable operators will also obey the court’s order once PEMRA act to enforce it. He said that all the cable operators are bound to follow PEMRA’s rules and regulations.

Furthermore, Justice Ijaz stated that cable operators cannot defy PEMRA’s rules and regulations as the latter can suspend their licenses if they refuse to implement its orders.

The lawyer representing the IMC informed the bench that the apex court had ordered PEMRA to follow the 2012 ruling for restoring Geo transmission but the authority is not implementing the court’s orders.

The lawyer further told that the future of thousands of employees is at stake and the group is bearing losses to the tune of Rs30 million every day.

The LHC instructed the IMC lawyer to move the Supreme Court for the implementation of its orders. On this, the lawyer responded that even the LHC can issue implementation order as per the Constitution.

Justice Ijazul Hassan remarked that the lawyer can also move Islamabad High Court (IHC) as PEMRA has offices in the Federal Capital.

The IMC lawyer, then, pleaded for more time for additional arguments after which the court adjourned the hearing till next week.

CJ takes notice of woman’s murder outside LHC

ISLAMABAD: The Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani, on Friday took notice of the murder outside the Lahore High Court and called a report from the Punjab IGP within 48 hours.

The chief justice took notice after the incident was reported in a section of the media on May 29 containing details about the murder of a young woman, who was beaten to death with bricks

by her family, close to the Lahore High Court for marrying without their consent.It was requested that the killers be brought to justice and police officers who were silent bystanders be punished for aiding and abetting the crime through their inaction to dispense justice to the victim.

Taking cognizance, the chief justice of Pakistan directed the Punjab inspector general of police (IGP) to submit a report in the matter within 48 hours.Similarly, the chief justice also took notice on press clippings of different newspapers dated May 30, containing details of the death of an overseas Pakistani in a Malaysian jail and non-cooperation of the Embassy of Pakistan in Malaysia.

It was appealed to the chief justice of Pakistan to take action into the matter to dispense justice. Taking cognizance, the chief justice of Pakistan called a report from the secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Pakistan, within three days.

IHC and LHC dismiss petitions against Geo News

ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) and Lahore High Court (LHC) dismissed petitions against Geo News and the channels senior anchors on Friday.

The IHC dismissed a petition which called for a treason case against Geo News and its senior anchors and the cancelation of the channels license. The IHC stated that the petition was non-maintainable.

The petition called for the federation, PEMRA, Geo management, Ansar Abbasi, Najam Sethi, Idrees Bakhtiar, Muneeb Farooq, Imtiaz Alam, Iftikhar Ahmad, Umar Cheema, Dr. Aamir Liaquat Hussain, Asma Shirazi and Amir Mir to become parties in the case.

The petition filed by a local journalist maintained that Geo management, Geo anchors, Amir Mir and private channel anchor Asma Shirazi disgraced the army during a transmission and should be tried for high-treason. The petition also called for the cancellation of Geo’s license.

Meanwhile, the LHC also dismissed a petition against the Jang/Geo group filed by the anchor of a private news channel.

During proceedings Justice Ejazul Hasan remarked that the petitioner had not read article 6 of the constitution which states that the petition should be submitted to the federal government. The constitution outlines procedures for a treason case, Justice Ejaz remarked. He further said that this court was not the appropriate forum for these charges.

Justice Ejaz told the petitioner that he was not an affected party as the allegations had been leveled against the ISI in the case, adding that the Defence Minister and federal government had already taken notice. Justice Ejaz further said that a judicial commission had been formed and its report should be waited for.

Musharraf case proves supremacy of law: LHC CJ

 

LAHORE: Lahore High Court Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial has said the judiciary is committed to dispensing justice to the affected people.
He was addressing a seminar on the topic of ‘Court Reporting and Dispensation of Justice’, organised at the Punjab Judicial Academy by the Press Council of Pakistan (PCP) here on Saturday.

About the Pervez Musharraf issue, the LHC CJ said he did not want to comment on the case as it was a sub judice matter. But, he added, he would like to say one thing that the developments in the Musharraf case had proven the supremacy of the law.

Justice Muhammad Anwarul Haq, Justice Ali Baqar Najfi, Justice Abdus Sami Khan, Raja Muhammad Shafqat Abbasi, Chairman PCP, Muhammad Ramzan, Mujeebur Rehman Shami, President CPNE, and journalist Saeed Aasi were also present on the occasion.

The CJ said justice could not be judged by the number of verdicts but by the authenticity of the verdicts. He said the services of the legal fraternity would be remembered for long. Pakistan was created by a lawyer, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, its idea was presented by another lawyer, Allama Muhammad Iqbal, and a number of other prominent lawyer leaders of the Pakistan Movement had struggled for the creation of this homeland.

The CJ recalled that the lawyers’ movement of 2007 wasunique in the sense that not a leaf was disturbed or any public property damaged as the movement was totally peaceful, pursuing its cause through talks, the most trusted weapon of the lawyers. The LHC CJ hoped that in the future too the judiciary, lawyers, civil society and the media would jointly ensure the supremacy of the rule of law.

The LHC chief justice said the role of the media was very important for the rule of law in the country and the restoration of constitutional rights of the public. He said the contempt of court law was used as a tool in the past to intimidate the journalist community, but the present judiciary has the courage to face positive and constructive criticism and it has not invoked the draconian law in the near past. He said the language of law was more difficult than ordinary language and it requires vast knowledge and expertise to fully comprehend legal terminology. We, the judges, also go through law books while dictating judgements; therefore, journalists should also take extra care while reporting judicial matters so that their news may not prejudice court proceedings.

He further said judges could not decide cases without assistance from the legal fraternity and the role of the lawyers in the dispensation of justice could not be undermined. At the end, the chief justice lauded court reporting in the Lahore High Court and saluted media persons for their responsible reporting.

Speaking on the occasion, PCP Chairman Raja Muhammad Shafqat Abbasi said the era of press releases was over and now the media was an independent entity, like other state institutions, and it was a need of the hour that it should be self-accountable now. Each institution should endeavour for more services to the masses, he added.

The Pakistan Bar Council vice chairman asked media persons to curtail the fashion of tickers on the electronic media.Agencies add: LHC Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial said the judiciary was a vibrant institution and its verdicts should not be made controversial.

Justice Bandial said the accused were freed by the courts due to poor investigation by the police, but the courts are accused of freeing culprits. He said the judiciary wanted to reform society.

LHC summons defence secy, ISI, IB, MI DGs, Punjab IG police

 

RAWALPINDI: The Lahore High Court (LHC), Rawalpindi Bench, on Thursday reissued notices to the secretary Ministry of Defence, director generals (DGs) of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Military Intelligence (MI) and Punjab inspector general of police (IG) to appear in person before it in the case of a missing person from Wah Cantt.
Justice Ibadur Rahman Lodhi issued the order before the case was adjourned till April 7. The court took strong notice of non-appearance of any of these officials in Thursday’s hearing. The case was filed by Nageena Bibi through Taufeeq Asif, advocate, against the disappearance of her son, Khan Badshah.

The court was told that the government officers could not come due to security risks. The court then directed the defence secretary to make sure not only his presence but also that of the heads of three intelligence agencies. The Punjab chief secretary was told to make sure that the IG should be present in the court on April 7.