Islamabad High Court (IHC) has issued contempt of court notices to Mubashar Lucman, a private TV channel anchorperson, ARY CEO Suleman Iqbal, acting PEMRA Chairman Pervez Rathore and information secretary and sought replies from them.
The court ruled that the Supreme Court (SC), high courts and other courts believe in the independence of media and respect the media but added that no one has any right to unleash propaganda in their programs.
A single bench of the IHC, led by Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui, took up for hearing District Bar Association Islamabad (DBAI) versus ARY News Channel case on Friday.
Former DBAI president Syed Nayyab Hassan Gardezi appeared in the court arguing that derogatory programs are being aired since some time back by a specific TV channel against judges of the SC, HCs and other courts but no action has been taken by the government or PEMRA in this regard.
A contempt of court plea has been filed in the court under Article 204 of the constitution.
He took the plea that the judiciary was restored due to untiring efforts of the legal fraternity, adding that certain elements could not stomach the independence and fortification of judiciary and the superior judiciary is being denigrated through vicious propagandas.
He argued that certain material in ARY TV programs has targeted the SC.
He said it indicated that its anchorperson and CEO were working under a specific agenda.
He prayed to the court to initiate contempt of court proceedings against Mubashar Lucman, Suleman Iqbal, PEMRA chairman, and information secretary.
The court ruled that Lucman was expelled from Dunya channel some time before for this reason and secret hands got him reinstated in another media channel.
The court ruled that a targeted campaign has been launched in program “Khara Sach”, aimed at launching propaganda campaign against courts, institutions and the lawyers’ community to hurt the dignity of the courts. The court said that certain limits have been crossed while conducting the program but no action has so far been taken by the government and PEMRA.
The learned judge remarked “as to why a commission be not constituted to probe into the assets held by the journalists sitting in these institutions, funds which are provided to them from different countries and gifts given to them. They have connections with different embassies and costly vehicles are given to them. These all facts should be brought to open”.
The court also issued orders for providing all the CDs of “Khara Sach” program aired by a private television channel from May 22 to May 31.
The hearing of the case was adjourned till first week of July.