ISLAMABAD - The Islamabad High Court (IHC) resumed hearing in a case regarding defamation campaign against judges on media and sought report from Chairman Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) by October 19, as to what action has been taken so far against the people who were allegedly trying to defame the judiciary.
“Judges are playing their part to provide justice to everyone; however they are not supposed to defend themselves at public forums. They are not bound to explain their position in the Supreme Judicial Council too,” Justice Shaukat Aziz remarked while hearing a plea seeking direction to media that they must not broadcast any interview or press conference that may contain defamatory material or statement against any member of the superior judiciary.
During the course of hearing, Secretary Ministry of Information, Chaudhry Rasheed Ahmed and Chairman Pemra Dr Abdul Jabbar appeared before the bench to represent their department. Complying with court order dated 9 October, 2012, Chairman Pemra told the court that the authority was complying with the court orders and it had sent a letter as well as all the regulations to the TV channels, directing them not to air any defamatory and indecent content against judiciary or any other person.
He also informed the bench that investigation agencies were probing the press conferences by a politician and Pemra was cooperating with them in this regard.
It may be mentioned here that in the previous hearing, the IHC had summoned the Pemra Chairman to explain about the code of conduct in regulating broadcast media and parameters of live programmes on the TV channels.
On 9 October 2012, the IHC directed PEMRA to immediately stop defamation of judges on electronic media. The order was passed by Justice Shaukat Hussain Siddique on a writ petition filed by Karachi based citizen Nadeem Ahmad through his lawyer Barrister Akram Sheikh.
The chairman Pemra told the court that intelligence agencies were investigating to bring hidden agendas behind the campaigns against judiciary forth.
Earlier, the petitioner said that he believes that the judges of Supreme Court and high courts are not above the law and, just like any other ordinary citizen of Pakistan, are fully accountable under Article 5 of the Constitution. However, at the same time, the honourable judges, just like ordinary citizens of Pakistan, are entitled to be protected from defamation.
APP adds: The Islamabad High Court on Monday sought report from Chairman, Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) by October 19 as to what action has been taken so far against the people who were allegedly trying to defame the Judiciary.
The Chairman Pemra informed the bench that investigation agencies were probing the press conferences by a politician and PEMRA was cooperating with them in this regard. The Supreme Court had also taken notice of the press conference while the PEMRA has recently introduced new rules and regulations for media.
“Under which authority would PEMRA take action against TV channels, if any defamatory content was aired against any institution or person,” he questioned.