Airing Vawda’s and Kamal’s press talks: SC disposes of show-cause notices to TV channels

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court disposed of show-cause notices to the TV channels for telecasting Senator Fesal Vawda and MNA MQM-P Mustafa Kamal’s contemptuous press conferences, as they tendered unqualified apology and vowed to broadcast in prime time.

A four-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, on Thursday, heard suo motu on press conferences by Vawda and Kamal, in which, they leveled malicious and serious allegations against the judiciary, commented on the judges of superior courts and spoke about sub judice cases.

The bench on June 5 had issued notices to 34 TV channels for airing the press conferences of Senator Vawda and Kamal, while on June 28, ordered the TV channels to file replies of the show-cause that why they are not be proceeded against?

During the proceeding, the chief justice said that media is the fourth pillar of state, adding it keep an eye on the performance of the Supreme Court, Parliament and the Executive,

therefore, it is extremely important.

Pursuant to the order of the last hearing, Faisal Siddiqui told that he was representing 26 TV channels and all of them have filed Civil Miscellaneous Applications (CMAs), wherein, they have tendered unqualified apology, and committed that mistake will not take place in the future.

The other TV channels to whom show-cause notices were issued also tendered similar unqualified apology, and stated that they would abide by the commitment made by Faisal Siddiqui.

It was further stated by the channels that they will air the apology, which has been tendered in CMAs on prime time.

Additional Attorney General Aamir Rehman submitted that tendering unqualified apology is a mitigating circumstance. It shows that they will abide by their commitment and telecast the apology in prime time.

The court stated that it is cognizant of the facts that Article 19 of the constitution, which guarantees the freedom of press, also imposes certain restrictions. The order mentions that Article 14 of the constitution talks about the inviolability of dignity of man.

The TV channels stated that they have the self-accountability mechanism. The court said if the self-accountability is lacking or deficient then they need to make sure that if a reporter story is not correct and has defects then action will be taken by the channel.

In view of the unqualified apologies, the show-cause notices issued by the apex court were disposed of in the aforesaid terms.

During the proceeding, the chief justice while addressing Faisal Siddiqui said let not tender apologise because of show-cause notices issued to them (TV channels), adding that in the last hearing they were very belligerent.

The CJP asked why did the owners changed their mind to apologize. He questioned why its order dated June 28 was suppressed, and why it was not aired on the same day or next day, adding the channels control the thought process. He further said that the channels prevailed on the print media to show it the people.

Faisal remarked that he had heard about the order (June 28) on TV channels himself.

The chief justice remarked that the abuses are being hurled against the judges and the judiciary on TV channels, and they are destroying all the institutions. Now the channels are in the competition with the social media, bloggers who defame the institution for the sake of dollars, and

hide behind the freedom

of press.

Maligning of institutions is going on because the defamation cases are not decided in decades and decades. Faisal replied that he will not deny that there is lot of abuse on TV channels.

The chief justice said that they wanted to protect the freedom of the press and do not like to send people to jail for criticising the judiciary, but the media would have to change its attitude of scandalizing the institution.

Upon that, Faisal said that there is viral nature of disinformation and the PEMRA should make some guideline and keep a check on them. The chief justice remarked that there was a time when senior journalists were sent to Supreme Court for coverage of its proceedings, but now reporters who do not know the ‘ABC’ of court proceedings are sent by the channels. These reporters spread sensational news, and now action is taken against them for filing fake or wrong news.

The chief justice questioned whether there is any self-accountability and punishment system in TV channel that if a reporter has filed fake news then is punished.

Pakistan Broadcaster Association (PBA) Chairman Shakeel Masood said every channel has the accountability mechanism and take action on fake news. He said the PBA will give training to YouTubers. The chief justice said that social media people should learn from senior journalists, who know the job better.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024