LAHORE - The Lahore High Court Tuesday issued notice to Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory (Pemra) on an application against the authority for its failure to stop television channels from airing anti-judiciary speeches despite court order.
A full bench headed by Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi was hearing the case against alleged anti-judiciary speeches and a rally taken out against the institution of judiciary in Kasur.
On the outset of the proceedings, petitioner’s counsel Azhar Siddique said that the court previously had directed for the compliance of the Pemra laws but the order was not obeyed and alleged contemptuous stuff was continuously being aired against the superior judiciary and its judges. The counsel said that the Pemra did not play its due role and it violated the court orders which is tantamount to contempt of court.
Azhar told the bench that Nawaz Sharif recently gave an interview to an English daily and his interview was against the interest of the state and fell within the meaning of treason. At this, Justice Naqvi, who was heading the bench, observed that it was completely a different matter and had not been pending before the court. However, the bench observed that the petitioner could move a separate application to this effect. The court issued notice to Pemra on the application moved by Civil Society Network President Abdullah Malik seeking action against Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) for allegedly violating the court orders regarding its failure to control airing of anti-judiciary speeches.
During the proceedings, PML-N MNA Waseem Akhtar, MPA Naeem Safdar and other four accused of taking anti-judiciary rally in Kasur appeared before the bench and submitted written apology before the court. However, the bench pointed out several mistakes in the written apology, with directives to them to remove all errors from their written apology and submit again.
Additional Advocate General Shan Gull could not appear before the bench on which the bench expressed dismay, observing that “it should be clear that no one could delay the contempt proceedings,”. The court put off further proceedings until May 24.
Kasur police registered a case against over 80 persons out of which six were identified as members of the ruling party PML-N. The police booked them under Sections 166, 506, 341, 228 109, 147 and 149 of the PPC. Kasur District Bar Association President Mirza Naseem filed the petition submitting that the protest in Kasur was a planned conspiracy against the institution of judiciary. He alleged that the rally was led by PML-N’s MNA Waseem Sajjad and MPA Safdar Ansari while some local leaders of the unions also accompanied them. The bar leader said that by doing so, the protestors committed contempt of court and therefore they must be punished. He prayed to the court to declare the parliamentarian disqualified and proceed against them in accordance with the law.
The same bench had been hearing the petitions against alleged anti-judiciary speeches of ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and other leaders of the PML-N.
The bench was also seized with the hearing of petitions against MQM London Chief for his anti-state speeches.
LHC dismisses minister’s plea against delimitation of two provincial constituencies
The Lahore High Court on Tuesday turned down a petition moved by provincial minister for education Rana Mashmood Ahmad Khan questioning delimitation of his constituency.
Justice Shahid Karim passed the order and directed the minister to approach the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for the redressal of his grievance about the delimitation. Registrar office had earlier objected to the petition on maintainability ground, however, the court had taken it as objection case and reserved the verdict on its maintainability.
The minister in his petition had questioned the delimitation of PP-149 and PP-150 of Lahore, pleading that the ECP be directed to hold delimitation of the two adjoining provincial constituencies afresh in light of objections raised by the voters.
Ends/ May 22-2018- FIDA