On Anver Majid’s complaint: SHC issues notices to Zulfiqar Mirza, TV channels, PEMRA

Plaintiff claims Mirza damaged his reputation by making ‘baseless’ allegations

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Thursday refrained former Sindh home minister Zulfiqar Mirza from leveling ‘false and baseless’ allegations against Anver Majid, especially in interviews with TV channels, without backing up his claims with proof.

The directions came in response to an application filed by Majid against Mirza, Geo TV, Dunya News, ARY Communications, Dawn News, News One and Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority.

In the application, Majid’s counsel said the aforementioned TV channels had aired interviews of Mirza in which the ex-home minister had leveled false and baseless allegations, and used derogatory and defamatory language against his client. He said the interviews were presenting information “based on wrong facts, assumptions, surmises and conjectures,” which were causing serious damage to his client’s character and reputation.

Majid’s lawyer claimed his client was being threatened that a campaign would be initiated against him in the near future.

The court, in its order, also directed the TV channels mentioned as respondents to refrain from airing any programme which contains the use of derogatory and defamatory language against the plaintiff and which presents any claims without the verification of facts. It issued notices to the respondents to appear before the court on March 5.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 28^th, 2015.