Journalists barred from covering £190m case hearing at Adiala jail

The majority of journalists were barred from covering the hearing of the £190m corruption case reference at the special court set up inside Adiala Jail.

Jail authorities allowed only five journalists access to the proceedings on Friday, while eight to ten others, were stopped outside the prison.

For several days, jail officials have been denying journalists access to the courtroom.

Imran Khan, the founder of PTI, has protested twice against the lack of media access.

Journalists covering the trial for the past year have also lodged protests against the inappropriate behaviour of the jail authorities.

They have filed two petitions in court, challenging the restrictions placed on their coverage.

Sources suggest that the jail administration began obstructing media coverage after the discovery of an alleged facilitation network within the prison.

Despite repeated requests, the jail authorities have not provided any reasons for blocking journalists from covering the trial.

On August 23, Islamabad High Court directed that journalists be prohibited from interviewing Imran Khan during his jail trial but has raised concerns about the legality of restricting media coverage of the trial.

Justice Mian Gul Hassan Aurangzeb remarked that while the trial court judge has the authority to regulate proceedings and manage any disruptions caused by journalists, it is not the responsibility of the jail administration.

The court was hearing a petition challenging the ban on journalists' access to the PTI founder during his trial.

A journalist informed the court that despite adhering to standard operating procedures (SOPs), they were not permitted to cover the court proceedings related to the PTI founder's cases.

According to SOPs, a focal person provides the names of seven journalists, but the jail administration has barred these journalists from entering the facility to report on the trial.

Justice Aurangzeb stated that regulating the proceedings of the jail trial is the responsibility of the judge, not the jail administration.

Denying journalists access to cover the trial proceedings would contravene the principles of an open court.

He instructed the Adiala Jail administration to comply with the court's decision and allow the seven journalists nominated by the Islamabad High Court Journalists Association to cover the jail trial.

While the court has ruled that journalists should not be allowed to interview the defendant, it has expressed concerns that banning media coverage could undermine the legal validity of the trial.

On May 27, The Sindh High Court (SHC) suspended the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority's (PEMRA) ban restricting reporters from broadcasting tickers of court proceedings.

Justice Abbasi however emphasized, "Court reporters must exercise responsibility when covering judicial matters. "Reporting certain remarks and observations can sometimes misrepresent the judiciary," he added.