CJP takes suo motu notice of ban on airing anti-judiciary speeches

The Supreme Court (SC) has taken a suo motu notice on Tuesday of Lahore High Court's (LHC) order in which it had temporarily banned airing of any anti-judiciary speeches.

Taking a suo motu notice, the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Saqib Nisar ordered the record of the case today for further proceedings. During the hearing the CJP cleared that LHC had not imposed a ban on airing of speeches made by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and daughter Maryam Nawaz by television channels.

The CJP remarked that the high court had only directed the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) to ensure that no anti-judiciary content was telecast by TV channels. Justice Nisar expressed his annoyance at the press for publishing fake news and termed it an attack on the judiciary.

On Monday, local media had reported that the LHC had temporarily restricted all TV channels from airing anti-judiciary speeches by Nawaz and Maryam. Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and some ministers of Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) were also included in the list of people whose speeches were banned by the LHC.

LHC bans airing of ‘anti-judiciary speeches’ by Nawaz, Maryam

A three-judge full bench, headed by Justice Syed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, comprising Justice Atir Mahmood and Justice Chaudhry Masood Jahangir were hearing several contempt petitions against Sharif, Maryam and other PML-N leaders.

Since the Supreme Court’s verdict of disqualifying Nawaz as the prime minister last year, the PML-N leaders have openly been targeting the judiciary in their speeches