Objections on live court coverage plea overruled

SC bench will hear petition calling for broadcast of court proceedings

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court overruled on Wednesday the objections of the registrar’s office over a constitutional petition seeking live coverage of the apex court proceedings on matters of public concern.

On March 10, an executive member of the Pakistan Bar Council, Raheel Kamran Sheikh, had filed a petition requesting the court to issue directives to the respondents for broadcasting Supreme Court proceedings, particularly suo motu actions taken under Article 184 of the Constitution.

Sheikh argued that a ban on live broadcast violated Article 19A of the Constitution that guaranteed the right to information to all citizens.

SC rejects petition seeking live coverage of court proceedings

However, the SC registrar’s office rejected the plea objecting that the petitioner had not approached the appropriate forum and failed to provide an adequate justification.

Later, the petitioner challenged the objections raised by the registrar’s office.  SC judge Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed heard the appeal in his chamber. Talking to The Express Tribune, Sheikh said the SC judge had overruled the objections and now the matter would be fixed for hearing before a bench of the court.