LHC temporarily bans airing contemptuous speeches of PML-N leaders

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: The Lahore High Court imposed a temporary ban on airing of contemptuous speeches of former premier Nawaz Sharif and other leaders of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.

The LHC announced the decision on Monday after receiving two dozen petitions filed against Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and other senior party leaders for their anti-judiciary speeches.

LHC ordered the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) to decide on the petitions within 15 days, directing the authority to stop from airing any contemptuous remarks till the order of court.

Earlier in the day during court proceedings, Petitioner’s counsel Advocate Azhar Siddiqui informed the court that PEMRA did not take any action over petitions filed regarding anti-judiciary speeches.

Justice Mazahir Ali Akbar Naqvi headed the bench of LHC, Justice Masood Jahangir and Justice Atir Mahmoud are also included in the bench.

Justice Naqvi added that it made sense for a lawyer or an expert to express his viewpoint on judicial verdicts but not every other person.

He drew the attention towards Article 68 and observed that it even prevented the Parliament from criticizing the judiciary and its decisions.

On the other hand, PEMRA counsel Salman Akram Raja argued that the authority had used its powers to decide on the anti-judiciary remarks issue.

The bench inquired if the verdict should be taken as a green signal for anti-judiciary speeches in future to which Raja replied that the authority may have committed a minor mistake by dismissing the petition.