QUETTA, May 18 The Balochistan High Court has issued notices to NNI and Online news agencies and the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) and All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) over publishing news reports under threat.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Qazi Faez Issa and Justice Mohammad Noor Meskanzai asked Islamic scholar Prof Arshad Yameen of the University of Information and Technology to assist the court with regard to the concept of freedom of expression in Islam.

The court was hearing an application of Khan Bibi, praying for the release of her son.

Representatives of dailies Jang and Mashriq informed the court that they were forced to publish reports after receiving threats from various quarters.

They acknowledged to have published reports about a banned militant organisation received from Online and NNI in which the organisation had claimed responsibility for violence taking place at a hospital on April 16. The judges said the statements by representatives of the newspapers showed that the freedom of press was under serious threat.

The court said various important issues were involved in the case because the fundamental right of freedom of the press was specifically mentioned in Article 19 of the Constitution, but the same Article restricted such freedom if it resulted in incitement to an offence.