Action taken against 32 people for ‘harassing journalists’

Report submitted in SC states four cases are under investigation; strenuous efforts being made to trace out culprits

ISLAMABAD:

The Supreme Court was informed on Friday that action had been taken against 32 people involved in the harassment of journalists’ case.

A three-member bench of the top court led by Justice Ijazul Ahsan took up the suo motu case wherein the Islamabad inspector general of police submitted a report on the action taken.

According to the report, about 16 cases were registered in different police stations of Islamabad during the last one year.

Investigation reports of 12 of the 16 cases had been submitted to the trial courts, the report stated. The person who attacked journalist Absar Alam had not been identified yet, it added.

“The person who attacked journalist Asad Ali Toor could not be identified by NADRA (National Database and Registration Authority). According to NADRA, the faces of those who attacked Absar Alam and Asad Ali Toor are not clear,” the report stated.

It added that the accused who harassed journalist Meher Bukhari was under investigation.

“At present, a total of four cases are under investigation and strenuous efforts are being made to trace out culprits involved in the cases within the shortest possible time and investigation will be concluded fairly, impartially and purely on merit,” it added.

In August, the SC had summoned the heads of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Islamabad police and the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority in the harassment of journalists’ case.

The bench summoned the attorney general and the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) advocate general at the next hearing.

The bench also sought a report from the IHC registrar regarding the status of pending cases of media persons. After issuing these directives, the top court adjourned the hearing of the case for two weeks.

It may be noted that the case was originally taken up by a division bench led by Justice Qazi Faez Isa. On August 20, the bench directly entertained the Press Association of Supreme Court (PAS) application against harassment of media persons. The division bench had also summoned several government functionaries on August 26 before it.

However, on August 23, a five-judge larger bench of the apex court, headed by acting Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin Ahmed and Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, “held in abeyance” the order of the two-member bench.

The bench had said that the order deviated from the established practice of entertaining suo motu notices.