KARACHI, June 5: The recently announced amendments to the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) were unanimously criticised on Tuesday by lawyers of the Sindh High Court, the City Courts and the Malir District Courts. Speakers told their respective bars that the move constituted an attempt to strangle Pakistan’s media.
The lawyers boycotted all court proceedings from 10.30am to 11.30am. Token hunger strikes to protest the reference against Chief Justice Chaudhry were observed in the Sindh High Court by M.K. Azmati and Mohammad Naeem, and in the City Courts by Syed Fateh Ali Shah Bukhari, Allama Ghulam Rasool, Gul Raj Khan Yousufzai and Z.U. Mujahid.
In a general body meeting convened at the bar room, members of the Sindh High Court Bar Association (SHCBA) said that journalists were being penalised for supporting the movement for an independent judiciary.
Amongst others, former SCHBA president Akhtar Hussain, joint secretary Ahmed Nafeez Usmani and Leader of the opposition in the Senate Mian Raza Rabbani said the ordinance violated the Constitution and demanded that Pemra be made an independent body.
The Karachi Bar Association (KBA) announced its intention to file a petition in the Sindh High Court against the new curbs on the media. At a general body meeting in the Shuhda-r-Punjab Hall, KBA general secretary Naeem Qureshi, former vice president of the Lahore Bar Association Tariq Malik, and various KBA members said that the government was guilty of violating the Constitution repeatedly. They said the recent restrictions placed on the media were proof that the government was failing to counter public pressure for the withdrawal of the reference against Chief Justice Chaudhry.
Referring to the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement regarding corps commanders’ confidence in the president, speakers said that army generals alone do not represent the majority of the country, which does not support the current regime.
Malir Bar Association (MBA) president Zahoor Hussain Mehar told Dawn via telephone that members of his association will observe a complete boycott of the courts next Saturday, to support the country’s journalists and oppose the restrictions imposed on them.
A joint statement issued by Sindh Bar Council (SBC) vice chairman Mohammad Amin Lakhani, SBC human rights committee Aaqil Lodhi and four SBC members condemned the Pemra amendments and termed them in violation of Article 19 of the Constitution. They also announced the SBC’s intention to file a petition in the Sindh High Court against the amendments.
Meanwhile, Dawn learnt that former Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Hameed Gul is to address lawyers at the City Courts on Thursday, while former Chief of Army Staff Gen (Retd) Aslam Baig will address the lawyers next Saturday.
