LAHORE - The Lahore High Court on Monday reserved verdict on a petition seeking ban on television programmes and stag plays making fun of police officials and other important personalities.
Justice Shams Mehmood Mirza of the LHC heard the parties. The judge said those who bring smile on people’s faces should be encouraged and making fun of rulers and politicians is a worldwide trend. Rashid Ahmad, a retired police officer, had moved the petition, submitting that actors make fun of important personalities, especially police personnel, in TV comedy shows and stage plays. He submitted that police laid down their lives for protection of people and rule of law. He stated that they even sacrificed their lives for rule of law. He said that these sacrifices of the police were never promoted or their good deeds were never highlighted. He said that TV programmes and plays did character assassination of police officials. He said that there was a need to give due respect to police for its services. He sought a ban on all such programmes and plays. After hearing preliminary arguments, Justice Shams reserved verdict on maintainability of the petition.
LHC seeks reply from federal govt on Turkish family’s ‘deportation’
Justice Shams Mahmood Mirza of the Lahore High Court on Monday directed the federal government to come up with a reply if reports regarding deportation of a former vice president of the Pak-Turk School and his family are true. Orhan Uyg had moved the petition for recovery of his friend Mesut Kacmaz and his wife and two daughters.
However, as the judge resumed hearing, Advocate Usama Malik appeared on behalf of the petitioner and stated that lead counsel Asma Jahangir was not available due to unavoidable engagements. He told the bench that according to media reports the abducted family had been deported to Turkey by the Pakistani authorities. When asked by the court, a deputy attorney general expressed ignorance about the deportation of the Turkish family. On this, Justice Mirza asked the law officer to come up with reply if media reports are true. The hearing was adjourned for a day. Earlier, the court had stopped the government from deporting Kacmaz and his family till decision on the case. The petitioner’s counsel argued that the government had already given an undertaking to the court that Turkish employees of the Pak-Turk School would not be deported till Nov 24, 2017.
However, he said, Kacmaz and his family were abducted by unidentified persons from their home. He had said there was a possibility that they would soon be deported in violation of the court orders. He stated that police had not registered a case of abduction.
He prayed to the court to bar the government from possible deportation of Turkish educationists and place their names on the exit control list.