Supreme Court Issues Notices to Geo and Jang

The Supreme Court has directed the print and electronic media neither to publish nor telecast any news item in respect of the person of a judge in any capacity, nor display his photograph on TV and in newspapers without proper verification and permission of the registrar of the Court.

The orders were issued on May 9 in a suo moto case of contempt of court, taken by the Supreme Court against Absar Alam, Islamabad Bureau Chief of Geo News, on news ticker on Geo TV on the evening of May 8 about a meeting between Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar, Justice Nawaz Abbasi, Justice Faqir Mohammad Khokhar and Secretary Interior Kamal Shah.

The Supreme Court, however, found that the appearance of these short-lived tickers on Geo (which mentioned no additional details and were duly and promptly accompanied by separate versions of the interior secretary and PRO Supreme Court) was an attempt "to exploit the court and scandalize the judges" and "is in utter violation of Article 19 of the Constitution.

A three-member bench of the Supreme Court has summoned Absar Alam to appear in person before the court at 9:30am today (Monday) and explain his position on what basis the news item was telecast and reveal the source of information. Sharifuddin Pirzada, Abdul Hafeez Pirzada and Wasim Sajjad have been appointed amicus curie by the Supreme Court in this important case in which fundamental rights, ensured under Article 19 of the Constitution, would be discussed.