Supreme Court disposes of Geo’s petition
Adjourns hearing on blasphemy cases registered against the channel.
Geo TV logo.
ISLAMABAD:
The Supreme Court on Monday disposed of Geo TV’s petition following an assurance by Pakistan Electronic Media Regularity Authority (Pemra) that it would abide by the court’s 2012 judgment.
A two-member bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Jawwad S Khawaja, was hearing the petition filed by Geo TV.
Taking notice of banners placed across the federal capital, criticising him for hearing Geo TV’s petition, Justice Jawwad S Khawaja gave director general (DG) intelligence bureau (IB) and interior secretary until May 28 to find out who is behind the act and subsequently submit a report.
Raising questions over the banners, the court said how was it possible that the banners appeared in the federal capital and the DG IB did not investigate the matter.
During the hearing, Attorney General Salman Aslam Butt assured the court that he would look into the matter.
Expressing their apprehension over the incident, the judges said “If unidentified persons can penetrate through security layers of the heavily-fortified red zone in the heart of Islamabad to paste these banners, then how can the country feel safe?”
The court adjourned the hearing till May 28. Geo had filed a petition, requesting the court to investigate all cases filed against it.
Earlier this month, a numbers of cases were registered against Geo for airing blasphemous content in one of its morning shows.
During the hearing, Pemra’s counsel, Ibrahim Satti, said that the media watchdog was not notified on the application.
Responding to Satti’s statement, Justice Gulzar Ahmed questioned if Pemra had taken any action. Satti replied that the event had recently taken place and Geo had filed an application.
After consulting Pemra’s legal director, Satti assured the top court that the media regulatory body would abide by the 2012 judgment.
Shortly after Satti’s response, Geo’s counsel, Akram Sheikh conceded that his client had been provided relief. Following the statement the court disposed one of Geo’s petitions.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 27th, 2014.
The Supreme Court on Monday disposed of Geo TV’s petition following an assurance by Pakistan Electronic Media Regularity Authority (Pemra) that it would abide by the court’s 2012 judgment.
A two-member bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Jawwad S Khawaja, was hearing the petition filed by Geo TV.
Taking notice of banners placed across the federal capital, criticising him for hearing Geo TV’s petition, Justice Jawwad S Khawaja gave director general (DG) intelligence bureau (IB) and interior secretary until May 28 to find out who is behind the act and subsequently submit a report.
Raising questions over the banners, the court said how was it possible that the banners appeared in the federal capital and the DG IB did not investigate the matter.
During the hearing, Attorney General Salman Aslam Butt assured the court that he would look into the matter.
Expressing their apprehension over the incident, the judges said “If unidentified persons can penetrate through security layers of the heavily-fortified red zone in the heart of Islamabad to paste these banners, then how can the country feel safe?”
The court adjourned the hearing till May 28. Geo had filed a petition, requesting the court to investigate all cases filed against it.
Earlier this month, a numbers of cases were registered against Geo for airing blasphemous content in one of its morning shows.
During the hearing, Pemra’s counsel, Ibrahim Satti, said that the media watchdog was not notified on the application.
Responding to Satti’s statement, Justice Gulzar Ahmed questioned if Pemra had taken any action. Satti replied that the event had recently taken place and Geo had filed an application.
After consulting Pemra’s legal director, Satti assured the top court that the media regulatory body would abide by the 2012 judgment.
Shortly after Satti’s response, Geo’s counsel, Akram Sheikh conceded that his client had been provided relief. Following the statement the court disposed one of Geo’s petitions.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 27th, 2014.