LHC bars Pemra from airing anti-judiciary remarks by Sharif brothers

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday barred Pakistan Electronic Media and Regulatory Authority (Pemra) from airing anti-judiciary speeches by the Sharif brothers -Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif – and sixteen other members of the Parliament.

Nawaz Sharif, who was ousted by the Supreme Court last month after string of corruption charges, and his party leaders have been quite vocal against the court and judges in their speeches in recent public gatherings.

According to the LHC order, Pemra must ensure that no statement of the Sharif brothers and PML-N ministers, including Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif and Railways Minister Saad Rafique, targeting judiciary be aired.

The other PML-N leaders barred by the court from airing their anti-judiciary statements are Daniyal Aziz, Talal Chaudhry, Pervaiz Rasheed, Marriyum Orangzeb, Abid Sher Ali, Rana Sanaullah, Maiza Hameed, Ahsan Iqbal, Tariq Fazal Chaudhry and Asif Kirmani.

The court also sought reply from the chairman Pemra and its Council of Complaint in this regard.

The court issued the orders after a petition filed by a petitioner Amina Malik against ruling Sharif family and the PML-N ministers for their frequent tirades against judiciary after Nawaz Sharif’s ouster. The case was heard by Justice Mamoon-ur-Rasheed.

According to the Constitution of Pakistan any propaganda against the judiciary and military is tantamount to treason.

The parliamentarians through discrediting the judiciary have violated the Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution.

On July 28, a five-judge Supreme Court bench disqualified Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in a unanimous verdict in the Panamagate case, thus cutting short his third stint in power.

Soon after the SC judgement, the PM House issued a terse statement saying that Nawaz Sharif, despite having reservations on the SC’s verdict, has stepped down from his post as the premier.

Sharif served as prime minister twice in the 1990s before he himself was ousted in a 1999 coup leading to a decade of exile. He won a third term as prime minister in a 2013 election.

While on August 1, the parliament elected former petroleum minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi as the country’s new prime minister, replacing ousted leader Sharif.

Sharif’s ruling PML-N party used its majority in the National Assembly to install Abbasi.