SC calls PEMRA, FIA heads, law officers in journalists harassment case

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Monday issued notices to the Attorney General, all Advocate Generals, chairman PEMRA, DG FIA and the IG Police Islamabad in journalists’ harassment case, ARY News reported.

A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Justice Ijazul Ahsan during the suo-moto hearing also summoned a report from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) regarding the status of pending cases of media persons.

The court summoned the Attorney General, all Advocate Generals, chairman Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), Director General Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and and the Inspector General Police Islamabad Capital Territory in the case.

The court adjourned further hearing of the case until September 15.

Earlier, petitioners Abdul Qayyum Siddiqui and others withdrawn their petition filed in the Supreme Court. The petitioners in their plea to the court said that they were taking back their petition over the matter.

“If you don’t want to be a part of the court proceedings, it is your discretion, the court will take the case ahead under Article 184/3”, Justice Ijazul Ahsan remarked. “The court has taken notice of the matter and will look into all aspects of it.”

“The constitution gives freedom of opinion to the media. Any law, which found flouting Article 19 will be outlawed,” Justice Munib Akhtar remarked.

“The court also standing alongside journalists over salaries and retrenchment issues,” Justice Ijazul Ahsan said.

The Supreme Court on Friday constituted a three-member bench to hear the journalists’ harassment case.

On August 26, the top court’s five-member bench had withdrawn a suo moto notice taken by a two-member bench headed by Justice Qazi Faez Isa ruling that only the CJP himself can take cognizance of the matter using the constitutional prerogative.