LAHORE: Taking strong notice of ongoing tirade against the judiciary by ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif and other leaders of his party, the Lahore High Court on Thursday summoned the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) secretary.

Justice Syed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi observed that the people facing charges of corruption had been attacking the institution of judiciary in the name of criticism. The judge also took exemption to the speeches of State Minister for Interior Talal Chaudhry and observed that such speeches amounted to treason.

Justice Naqvi issued these remarks during hearing of a petition against alleged anti-judiciary speeches by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam, and federal and provincial ministers of the PML-N.

Representing the petitioner, Advocate Azhar Siddique argued that the PML-N leadership had been making derogatory speeches against the judges of the Supreme Court since the verdict of Mr Sharif’s disqualification in Panama case.

He said the Pemra had been willfully allowing broadcasting of hate speeches, defamatory and contemptuous remarks on television channels as it took no action to enforce its code of conduct and the rules.

The counsel said disqualified prime minister Nawaz Sharif was now an ordinary citizen as he neither held any public office nor a member of any political party in view of the disqualification judgment. But, he said, Mr Sharif and other leadership of the PML-N had been trying to prove the Supreme Court’s judgment wrong and prejudice.

He argued that the Pemra had badly been failed to act as an independent regulator rather become a subordinate body of the government. He said the Pemra officials needed to realise that they were not working on the PML-N’s payroll and had to protect the citizens of Pakistan and the institutions in every regard.

Advocate Siddique said the Pemra was bound to perform its duties with due diligence in order to protect state institutions and the dignity and integrity of courts. He said the Pemra had the authority to restrain media houses from airing anything against the laws and offensive to the state institutions.

Justice Naqvi adjourned hearing till March 29 and directed the Pemra secretary to appear in person to explain the role of the authority.

Hearing an identical case, Justice Shahid Karim gave another opportunity to Pemra to decide the complaints pending with it about alleged contemptuous speeches by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam and other PML-N leaders.

Counsel for the Pemra told the court a meeting fixed for March 21 would decide the complaints pertained to the alleged contemptuous speeches by the politicians.

On behalf of Nawaz, Advocate Azam Nazir Tarar appeared and intended to advance arguments on the maintainability of the petition moved by a civil society organisation. However, Justice Karim said the court would surely hear his arguments but first let the Pemra file its report on the issue.

The judge adjourned the hearing till March 27 and directed the Pemra’s counsel to submit the report.

Amina Malik of the Civil Society Network had filed the petition through Advocate Azhar Siddique.

Published in Dawn, March 16th, 2018