SC: No precedent of live telecast of court proceedings

ISLAMABAD (APP): The Supreme Court on Monday observed that there was no precedent of live telecast of court proceedings.

A 10-member larger SC bench The bench comprising Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Maqbool Baqar, Justice Manzoor Ahmed Malik, Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel, Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin Ahmed and Justice Amin-Ud-Din Khan made the observations during hearing of Justice Qazi Faez Isa’s plea seeking removal of paragraphs 2 to 11 of the June 19, 2020 verdict.

During the course of proceedings, Justice Qazi Faez Isa pleaded before the bench that he should be allowed to argue his case as his counsel Munir A Malik was ill.

Justice Bandial said the counsel could not be changed in the review case. He also sought reasoning in writing from Justice Isa’s attorney regarding his inability to argue the case.

Justice Isa asked the bench to decide his case soon as one of its members Justice Manzoor Ahmad Malik was retiring next month.

He said a ridiculous campaign was launched against him and his family and requested the court to ponder over his plea for live telecast of the proceedings on the national television.

Justice Bandial observed that he (Justice Isa) had not placed any material related to the malicious campaign against him and his family. There was no precedent of live telecast of court proceedings, and if his application in that regard was accepted then every litigant would ask the Supreme Court for the purpose, he added.

The Additional Attorney General said AGP Khalid Jawed Khan could not appear due to illness.

To a query from Justice Bandial, he, however, said if the court issued an order then he could argue the case.

The apex bench issued the notice to the AGP allowing the AAG to present arguments and adjourned the case till Tuesday.