Supreme Court issues contempt of court notices to Mubashir Lucman, ARY CEO

SC seeks explanation from govt for delay in appointment of permanent PEMRA chairperson


Hasnaat Malik September 09, 2014

ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court on Tuesday issued contempt notices to ARY News anchor Mubashir Lucman and ARY CEO Salman Iqbal for airing programmes in the month of May which had maligned the judiciary.

This is the first contempt notice that the top court has issued since the retirement of former Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.

While contempt proceedings against judges, lawyers, parliamentarians and media persons were on the rise during Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry’s tenure, the court under Chief Justice Nasirul Mulk has neither issued contempt notices nor resumed proceedings on previous ones.

A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan on June 4 had directed the SC office to provide transcripts of the programme aired by ARY TV on May 22 and May 26, 2014, that contained language critical of the judiciary.

The bench had also watched video clips of private TV programmes that made negative references to Justice Jawwad S Khawaja, who was hearing different petitions filed by GEO television network about the interruption of its transmission in different areas of the country.

On Tuesday, when the bench took up the case again after a break of three months, the court issued show cause notices to Lucman and Iqbal under section 5 of Contempt Ordinance 2003.

PEMRA

The apex court also sought an explanation from the government for the delay in the appointment of a permanent PEMRA chairperson.

Deputy Attorney General Khawaja Ahmad Hussain informed the court that the prime minister has formed a committee for finalising the code of conduct for print and electronic media.

The bench, however, expressed dissatisfaction over PEMRA’s performance and asked why the body is not taking action against TV channels that run contemptuous programmes.

Justice Ijaz Ahmed Chaudhry added that the government is facing a difficult time due to PEMRA’s ineffectiveness.

Justice Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry also asked whether the court should summon the PM over the PEMRA situation.

The hearing of the case was adjourned until September 15.

COMMENTS (5)

Zaid Hussain | 9 years ago | Reply @salman: Lol M.B. oh my words just make me laugh. Go outside Quetta press up go to blochistan and see the killing go look at missing people. Why does oh truthful ARY not report this? Are blochistan is not human or are ary and other news channel scared or following script? Allah knows best. Where are ARY PTI PAT not protesting abt 100,000 F.I.R. Needed in blochistan murder cases where the hero (I.K.) the creator of the nation when it comes to blochistan grow up Pakistan see past this orchestrated hype. No Hashmi is now he is bad in Ary eyes before he was consider equalivent to Iqbal.
salman | 9 years ago | Reply

nawaz group is looting the country , killing , in front of media ,not allowing for Fir , using brutal force i have given vote to Nawaz BUT NOT ANY MORE and you zaid , Sara if some body tells the truth which is the fact Nawaz group r doing PUBLICALLY u r saying he is anti nawaz , the judge justice jawad s kwaja every body knows he is related to GEO owner he should left the case BUT ??????????????

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