Anti-judiciary speeches: LHC orders Pemra to strictly enforce its code of conduct
LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Thursday directed the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) to strictly enforce the laws pertaining to ban on airing anti-judiciary and anti-armed forces speeches and content.
Justice Mamoon Rashid issued this order while hearing a petition against the alleged anti-judiciary speeches delivered by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and 15 other PML-N leaders after Nawaz’s disqualification in the Panama Papers case judgment. Other respondents in the petition include Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif, Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique, Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Senator Nehal Hashmi, Senator Pervaiz Rashid, MNA Talal Chaudhry, State Minister for Information Marriyum Aurangzeb, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Law Minister Rana Sanaullah.
Directing Pemra to ensure the implementation of Pemra Ordinance 2002, Rules 2009 and media code of conduct 2015, Justice Sheikh also sought a reply from Pemra Chairman Absar Alam by September 12.The petitioner, Amina Malik, head of a civil society organisation, argued through her counsel Advocate Azhar Siddique that the respondent leaders of the ruling PML-N had been openly using ‘contemptuous’ language against the Supreme Court judges who disqualified Nawaz and ordered the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to file references against the Sharif family.He said Pemra had failed to exercise its jurisdiction as assigned under Article 19, 19-A read with Pemra Ordinance 2002, rules and code of conduct for media. The lawyer said it was the duty of the federal and provincial governments to respect and honour the judiciary and other state institutions.
He said the respondent leaders, including members of federal and provincial cabinets, were on a wrong track by attacking the Supreme Court in response to the Panama Papers case judgment which amounted to an attack on independence of the judiciary.Azhar urged the court to issue an appropriate direction to Pemra to stop airing and telecasting the alleged contemptuous, derogatory and defamatory speeches made by Nawaz and others against the apex court judges.
During the hearing, federal and provincial law officers objected to maintainability of the petition, calling it without substance. They said there had been not violation of the law as alleged in the petition.They pointed out that issued raised in the instant petition were already sub judice before the Supreme Court. Justice Sheikh adjourned hearing till September 12, seeking a reply from the Pemra chairman and directed him to ensure compliance of the Pemra Ordinance 2002, its rules of 2009 and media code of conduct 2015.
source: https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/225854-Anti-judiciary-speeches-LHC-orders-Pemra-to-strictly-enforce-its-code-of-conduct
Noisy lawyers' convention lends support to defiant Nawaz
Dawn.comAugust 25, 2017
"I have been fighting for Pakistan's democracy and the case of its people in the courts," former prime minister Nawaz Sharif said on Friday as he addressed an increasingly noisy lawyer's convention at Aiwan-i-Iqbal in Lahore. Lauding the members of the legal fraternity for their struggle against dictatorship, the former premier recalled that "in the movement [against Pervez Musharraf], lawyers had been at the forefront." "[Allama] Iqbal, a lawyer, presented Pakistan's vision. Mohammad Ali Jinnah was also a lawyer," the former premier remarked in a bid to strike a chord with the gathering.
"You people ran a movement and sacrificed your lives so that the country may be free of dictators," Sharif said. "Your movement against dictatorship served all the people of the country, not just a small group," he added."Today, lawyers again have a responsibility to play a part in the fight for justice in this country," Nawaz said. The deposed prime minister told the gathering that he had presented himself for an investigation by the courts as soon as the Panama Papers were leaked in 2016, even though his name "was not in the papers.""No one responded to my offer [to present myself for accountability] for several months. And then they came up with a number of justifications for prolonging this process," he said.
"One verdict was given on April 20, the other was given on July 28. And you know the technicalities of the verdict better than me," he said.The former premier went on to question aspects of the July 28 verdict of the Panamagate case, which called for his disqualification under Article 62 of the Constitution. Calling the Supreme Court-ordered investigation against him and members of his family “suspicious,” he questioned why a joint investigation team was constituted and why intelligence agencies were given a role in the investigation when there has been "no precedent of such agencies being involved in matters other than those of national security."
“Can judges be added to a smaller bench once they have given their verdict already?” Nawaz also asked. “Can the National Accountability Bureau be given special instructions?”
“I did my part and stepped down from the prime minsiter’s seat,” Nawaz said. “But I have not accepted it and neither has the nation.”“I am not concerned about the effect the verdict will have on me. I care about the precedent that will be set in the country,” he said.“The verdict will remembered as unjust,” he said. “Verdicts like these have negative effects on the justice system.”
He also said he had been made “victim of such cases before.” “First a president removed me, and then a dictator,” he said. “Now a court has removed me.”He told the gathered lawyers he especially regretted that he had been removed by the judicial system this time.“The people of Pakistan have given numerous sacrifices for the judicial system and they expect justice to be carried out,” he remarked.Nawaz also stressed that while dictators have ruled the country for an average of eight years each, elected prime ministers have only been allowed two years on average.
“What does that say about our country?" he asked. "The sanctity of votes needs to be protected,” he added, referring to his recently announced 'mission' to "restore the people's mandate". “My fight it not about me, it about reviving the sanctity of the vote,” Nawaz said, calling on the lawyers to stand with him.“My mission is to shut down the means through which democracies are derailed and elected leaders are sent home,” he said.
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LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Thursday directed the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) to strictly enforce the laws pertaining to ban on airing anti-judiciary and anti-armed forces speeches and content.
Justice Mamoon Rashid issued this order while hearing a petition against the alleged anti-judiciary speeches delivered by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and 15 other PML-N leaders after Nawaz’s disqualification in the Panama Papers case judgment. Other respondents in the petition include Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif, Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique, Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Senator Nehal Hashmi, Senator Pervaiz Rashid, MNA Talal Chaudhry, State Minister for Information Marriyum Aurangzeb, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Law Minister Rana Sanaullah.
Directing Pemra to ensure the implementation of Pemra Ordinance 2002, Rules 2009 and media code of conduct 2015, Justice Sheikh also sought a reply from Pemra Chairman Absar Alam by September 12.The petitioner, Amina Malik, head of a civil society organisation, argued through her counsel Advocate Azhar Siddique that the respondent leaders of the ruling PML-N had been openly using ‘contemptuous’ language against the Supreme Court judges who disqualified Nawaz and ordered the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to file references against the Sharif family.He said Pemra had failed to exercise its jurisdiction as assigned under Article 19, 19-A read with Pemra Ordinance 2002, rules and code of conduct for media. The lawyer said it was the duty of the federal and provincial governments to respect and honour the judiciary and other state institutions.
He said the respondent leaders, including members of federal and provincial cabinets, were on a wrong track by attacking the Supreme Court in response to the Panama Papers case judgment which amounted to an attack on independence of the judiciary.Azhar urged the court to issue an appropriate direction to Pemra to stop airing and telecasting the alleged contemptuous, derogatory and defamatory speeches made by Nawaz and others against the apex court judges.
During the hearing, federal and provincial law officers objected to maintainability of the petition, calling it without substance. They said there had been not violation of the law as alleged in the petition.They pointed out that issued raised in the instant petition were already sub judice before the Supreme Court. Justice Sheikh adjourned hearing till September 12, seeking a reply from the Pemra chairman and directed him to ensure compliance of the Pemra Ordinance 2002, its rules of 2009 and media code of conduct 2015.
source: https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/225854-Anti-judiciary-speeches-LHC-orders-Pemra-to-strictly-enforce-its-code-of-conduct
Noisy lawyers' convention lends support to defiant Nawaz
Dawn.comAugust 25, 2017
"I have been fighting for Pakistan's democracy and the case of its people in the courts," former prime minister Nawaz Sharif said on Friday as he addressed an increasingly noisy lawyer's convention at Aiwan-i-Iqbal in Lahore. Lauding the members of the legal fraternity for their struggle against dictatorship, the former premier recalled that "in the movement [against Pervez Musharraf], lawyers had been at the forefront." "[Allama] Iqbal, a lawyer, presented Pakistan's vision. Mohammad Ali Jinnah was also a lawyer," the former premier remarked in a bid to strike a chord with the gathering.
"You people ran a movement and sacrificed your lives so that the country may be free of dictators," Sharif said. "Your movement against dictatorship served all the people of the country, not just a small group," he added."Today, lawyers again have a responsibility to play a part in the fight for justice in this country," Nawaz said. The deposed prime minister told the gathering that he had presented himself for an investigation by the courts as soon as the Panama Papers were leaked in 2016, even though his name "was not in the papers.""No one responded to my offer [to present myself for accountability] for several months. And then they came up with a number of justifications for prolonging this process," he said.
"One verdict was given on April 20, the other was given on July 28. And you know the technicalities of the verdict better than me," he said.The former premier went on to question aspects of the July 28 verdict of the Panamagate case, which called for his disqualification under Article 62 of the Constitution. Calling the Supreme Court-ordered investigation against him and members of his family “suspicious,” he questioned why a joint investigation team was constituted and why intelligence agencies were given a role in the investigation when there has been "no precedent of such agencies being involved in matters other than those of national security."
“Can judges be added to a smaller bench once they have given their verdict already?” Nawaz also asked. “Can the National Accountability Bureau be given special instructions?”
“I did my part and stepped down from the prime minsiter’s seat,” Nawaz said. “But I have not accepted it and neither has the nation.”“I am not concerned about the effect the verdict will have on me. I care about the precedent that will be set in the country,” he said.“The verdict will remembered as unjust,” he said. “Verdicts like these have negative effects on the justice system.”
He also said he had been made “victim of such cases before.” “First a president removed me, and then a dictator,” he said. “Now a court has removed me.”He told the gathered lawyers he especially regretted that he had been removed by the judicial system this time.“The people of Pakistan have given numerous sacrifices for the judicial system and they expect justice to be carried out,” he remarked.Nawaz also stressed that while dictators have ruled the country for an average of eight years each, elected prime ministers have only been allowed two years on average.
“What does that say about our country?" he asked. "The sanctity of votes needs to be protected,” he added, referring to his recently announced 'mission' to "restore the people's mandate". “My fight it not about me, it about reviving the sanctity of the vote,” Nawaz said, calling on the lawyers to stand with him.“My mission is to shut down the means through which democracies are derailed and elected leaders are sent home,” he said.
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