ISLAMABAD - Supreme Court (SC) has directed Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) to produce record of all talk shows and news items published in the media about judges after the events of November 3, 2007. A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Justice Muhammad Nawaz Abbasi issued the direction on Monday during the hearing of a contempt notice against a private news channel and its sister newspaper for running a news item, which according to Registrar Supreme Court was false. Justice Abbasi also asked Secretary Information and Chairman Pemra to check who was paying the bills of lengthy advertisements regarding judiciary. At one stage of the proceedings, the SC clamped ban on telecast or publishing of any news or programme related to the judges without prior approval of Registrar of Public Relations Officer of the apex court. However, the ban was withdrawn after representatives of journalists' organisations protested over its imposition on the ground that whole of the media industry shouldn't be put under a prohibition on the basis of one news item. In the reviewed order, the court ruled that no programme or news item containing derogatory remarks on judiciary could be broadcast or published in media. Earlier, the Islamabad Bureau Chief of the news channel appeared before the court and sought four-week time for engaging his counsel to plead his case. Editor and Reporter of the sister organisation of same channel were also present before the court along with their counsel. The courtroom was jam packed with media persons belonging to various news outlets when the bench proceeded with the matter. Muhammad Afzal Butt and Mazhar Abbas represented the journalist organisations before the court when it first announced the ban on running any news or talk show about judges without the prior approval of court officials. Chairman Pemra and Secretary Information Akram Shaheedi were also present before the court on notice, while senior lawyers Syed Sharifuddin Pirzada, Abdul Hafeez Pirzada and Waseem Sajjad also appeared after being called in as amicus curiae (friends of the law-court). Later, senior Advocate Dr Babar Awan also joined these constitutional experts after the court also sought his assistance on the issue. The court categorically asked Dr Awan to elaborate on the personal rights of an individual in accordance with the injunctions of Islam. Regretting that institution of judiciary was being disgraced recently, Justice Muhammad Abbasi remarked that freedom of press didn't mean a license to insult any one. "Freedom of speech is subject to some restrictions," Justice Abbasi also added. In reply to a query from the bench, Senior Advocate Abdul Hafeez Pirzada stated that the case actually required proper interpretation of Article 19 and 204 of the Constitution. He also stated that the power of media was being respected worldwide but the intention to scandalise was a serious issue. When the court imposed ban on running any news item without prior approval, both Abdul Hafeez and Dr Babar opposed the idea and said that such a ruling would tantamount to new curbs on media. The courtroom witnessed an unprecedented and embarrassing situation when majority of the audience started clapping in support of some media persons who confronted Justice Abbasi on banning the media reporting without approval of court. Besides Justice Abbasi, other members of the bench hearing the issue were Justice Mian Hamid Farooq and Justice Muhammad Farrukh Mahmud. Apex court had issued contempt notices to the news channel and its sister newspaper on last Saturday after they reported about a meeting of the Interior Secretary with the Chief Justice of Pakistan in which two senior judges of the apex court were also present. The hearing was later adjourned till May 22.