The Lahore High Court (LHC) has restricted print and electronic media from publishing and airing news or comments about the judges of superior courts. The court imposed this ban on media while admitting a petition seeking contempt proceedings against a reporter and chief editor of "The News International" for maligning a judge of the High Court.
After issuing notices the court referred the petition to Chief Justice Sayed Zahid Hussain for the constitution of a larger bench for its disposal in accordance with the law. The court also issued notices to Regional Police Officer Gujranwala Zulfiqar Cheema and other respondents.
The court when took up the petition a number of lawyers including Azam Nazir Tarar, Azhar Siddiq and Shehram Sarwar were present in the courtroom advanced their arguments along with the petitioner. The petitioner Zafarullah advocate pleaded that the news item published by the reporter of the News was extremely scandalising an honourable judge and all tend to bring the court into abuse, hatred, ridicule or contempt.
He said in the news item an implied reference was made of his (judge) presently working at Bahawalpur bench, which equally amounts to identify him by name. Barrister Zafar pleaded that the heading of the said news item was not only bad in taste but also generated hatred among the people in general and erosion of confidence in superior judiciary in public at large.
Petitioner alleged that the purpose of the news item was only to sensationalise and scandalise the judge and seemed that the reporter had mala fide intentions and only intended to create bad image about the judiciary in Pakistan and abroad. Zafar stated that the statement recorded by Regional Police Officer Gujranwala Zulfiqar Cheema of an accused who was killed in alleged encounter on January 17, 2009, who was wanted in many criminal cases and had been in police custody for sometime.
He contended that if the murdered accused had made such alarming statement then he was to be protected and due to disappearance of the evidence such statement has no value and become unbelievable and it will attract section 201 of PPC. He requested that all the responsible persons for this news time should be summoned and tried for contempt of court.