Lahore High Court Chief Justice Azmat Saeed on Wednesday asked the federal government and others to file a reply till March 20 on a petition against proposed legislation to control media. The CJ passed the order on a petition filed by Rana Ilamuddin Ghazi advocate making the federal government, the ministry of Information and Broadcasting, and Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority as parties to the petition. The petitioner stated that the federal government had been legislating to control the free media. He said the restrictions, if imposed, would be unconstitutional and against fundamental rights of the people and the right of masses to access information. He prayed to the court to pass directions to government to refrain from making the legislation in this regard. A deputy attorney general present in the court said that federal government was not taking any steps aimed to curbed the free media and requested the court to dismiss the petition declaring it non-maintainable. However, the CJ did not agree with the law officer and directed him to file a report by March 20, on behalf of the respondents. The CJ observed that the government may impose such restrictions ahead of the elections in the country.
