ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, on Saturday, initiated suo motu proceedings regarding the alleged harassment of journalists by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) amid claims of a targeted malicious campaign against the superior judiciary.
The CJP has formed a three-judge Supreme Court bench, scheduled to address the matter on Monday. This bench, led by the CJP himself, includes Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Musarrat Hilali.
The suo motu notice was triggered by the CJP following the adoption of a joint resolution by the Press Association of the Supreme Court (PAS) and the Islamabad High Court Journalist Association (IHCJA). The decision was reached after discussions with the newly-elected representatives of these two bodies.
This case will be addressed alongside another initiated in 2021, prompted by the PAS’s request concerning the harassment of journalists.
The court office has informed the Attorney General for Pakistan, Pemra Chairman, FIA Director General, and the Islamabad Police Chief, directing them to personally appear before the court.
The resolution, prompted by reports circulating on social media, expressed regret over FIA notices, claiming that they have created a chilling effect and raised concerns among reporters covering Supreme Court proceedings. This was deemed a violation of the rights guaranteed under Article 19 of the Constitution.
Both the PAS and IHCJA condemned the notices and urged authorities to refrain from harassing journalists. They demanded the immediate withdrawal of the notices, warning that both associations would seek guidance from journalist representative bodies for further action if the demands were not met.
Journalist and social media influencer Siddique Jan, who received an FIA notice, stated that he learned about it through social media, as it did not reach his postal address. He raised concerns about personal information being exposed and indicated his intention to address these issues before the Supreme Court on Monday.
Similarly, Matiullah Jan and Saqib Bashir, who also received notices through social media, emphasized the need for authorities to distinguish between positive criticism and malicious campaigns. The FIA notices were issued in the context of a five-member JIT formed by the caretaker government to investigate a social media campaign against Supreme Court judges, particularly after the January 13 judgement involving the PTI’s election symbol.
Other individuals reportedly issued notices, according to social media, include Asad Ali Toor, Paras Jahanzeb, Iqrarul Hassan, Shaheen Sehbai, Adeel Raja, Sabir Shakir, Jibran Nasir, Azhar Mashwani, Imran Riaz, Arif Hameed Bhatti, Sara Taseer, among others.
(Islamabad51_Newsdesk)
