LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Monday issued a notice to the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) on a contempt petition of PTI Chairman Imran Khan questioning violation of a stay order against ban on coverage of his speeches.

A counsel submitted before the court that it had suspended the ban imposed by the Pemra on the broadcast of Imran Khan’s speeches and press talks on tv channels.

However, he said, the ban was still intact as the speeches and press talks of the petitioner had not been covered by the news channels.

The counsel asked the court to initiate contempt proceedings against the authorities responsible for the non-compliance of the order.

Justice Shams Mahmood Mirza observed that the violation of the court order needed to be proved with evidence. He issued a notice to the Pemra and sought a report by the next hearing.

Pemra had slapped the ban after Imran lashed out at former army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa for, what he called, protecting incumbent rulers in their alleged corruption cases.

The court had suspended the notification of the ban and referred the matter to a full bench already seized with similar matters.

disposed of: The Lahore High Court on Monday disposed of a habeas corpus petition for the recovery of alleged abducted PTI social media activist Azhar Mashwani as he appeared before it.

Mashwani was accompanied by his counsel, Azhar Siddique, when appeared before the court of Justice Aalia Neelum.

The counsel told the court that Mashwani was released by his ‘abductors’ in Islamabad.

Asked about his alleged abductors, the PTI activist told the court he could not recognise his abductors as they used to cover their faces.

He alleged that the abductors told him that they were officials of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and he had been picked up on the directions of the agency’s director general and Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah.

Justice Neelum expressed her displeasure when petitioner’s counsel said Mashwani had not appeared before the police after his release. The judge observed that the police were a first response force and every citizen was supposed to report his ordeal to it.

Advocate Siddique said Mashwani was still suffering from the trauma of his alleged kidnapping. The judge disposed of the petition for being infructuous.

On March 30, the judge had ordered the FIA to recover and produce Mashwani on April 3.

However, Mashwani reached home on March 31.

Mazharul Hassan had filed the petition alleging that his brother was kidnapped from outside his Township residence on March 23 and since then his whereabouts were not known.

He said his brother was a law-abiding citizen who was entitled to the fundamental rights including the right of individuals to be dealt with in accordance with law in respect of liberty and security of a person.

Published in Dawn, April 4th, 2023