IHC adjourns Geo's intra-court appeal case for indefinite period
The court says Geo filed appeal for relief but earlier decision of single-bench was not challenged.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - A two-member bench of Islamabad High Court (IHC) comprising Chief Justice IHC Anwar Khan Kasi and Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui heard Geo-Jang group’s intra-court appeal against Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA).
Geo’s lawyer Akram Shaeikh said that PEMRA’s investigation against the media group were illegal as the authority has no chairman.
In his remarks, Justice Shaukat Aziz said that the earlier decision of the single-bench of IHC was not challenged.
Akram Sheikh said this was just a mistake and he admits this. He pleaded to the court to grant relief to Geo-Jang Group.
Upon this, Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui remarked that Geo likes the court decision in its favour whereas it does not like the ruling against it. He said Geo should wait for the decision by Ministry of Law. Geo’s lawyer prayed to the bench to dismiss the case. The court adjourned the hearing for indefinite period.
On Saturday, a petition was filed against Geo News, provincial and federal ministers in Supreme Court making individuals including Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, Amir Mir, PEMRA, Khawaja Saad Rafique and Khawaja Asif respondents to the petition. The petitioners allege that government is influencing PEMRA, Dunya News reported.
The petition was filed by Advocate Syed Ali Imran and Munir Tariq and makes seventeen individuals including Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, Amir Mir, Khawaja Saad Rafique and Khawaja Asif parties to the petition.
The petition moves that the statements of Khawaja Asif, Saad Rafique and Rana Sanaullah in the aftermath of attack on prominent journalist Hamir Mir defamed Pakistan Army.
The petition adds that the government influenced PEMRA in the inquiry and seeks PEMRA to conduct impartial and independent investigation into the matter.
The petition pleads that Mir Shakil, Amir Mir, Khawaja Saad Rafique and Khawaja Asif should be summoned in court in personal capacity and explanation should be sought.
It is pertinent to mention here that private TV channel Geo News landed itself into controversy on April 19 in its coverage following the attack on prominent journalist Hamid Mir.
The attack was reported on every national TV channel including Dunya News within minutes of attack; however, Geo News distinguished itself in coverage by airing Hamid Mir’s brother Amir Mir’s allegations against chief of a national institution.
Geo News allegedly took it to task to repeatedly malign and defame DG ISI by flashing his picture on the breaking news broadcast for at least eight hours.
The channel backtracked by terming the allegations as Hamid Mir’s brother’s own statement and not of the channel’s.
Amir Mir claimed during the broadcast that Hamid Mir had informed him that DG ISI Lt. General Zaheer-ul-Islam is to be blamed if he was attacked.
