ISLAMABAD, Oct 22: The Supreme Court on Monday asked for complete details before it could issue notices to media personnel and anchorpersons on a petition moved against scathing media criticism of security forces after the US operation in Abbottabad and terrorist attack on Mehran Base in Karachi.

The petition filed by Advocate Sardar Mohammad Ghazi in June sought a ban on the media from questioning the performance of the armed forces, intelligence agencies and other defence and security institutions.

“Questions raised on the functioning of the sensitive institutions do not attract contempt of court,” observed a two-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and Justice Jawwad S. Khawaja.

The court asked Ibrahim Satti, the counsel for the petitioner, to submit complete details and transcript of the programmes shown on the electronic media against the armed forces when he presented nine compact discs (CDs) containing different programmes against the military.

The federal government through information secretary, Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra), analyst Najam Sethi, talk show host Hamid Mir, Geo Television and journalist Ijaz Haider have been made respondents in the petition.

Mr Satti said that talk shows, comments and analysis had caused irreparable damage to the reputation of army and its intelligence agencies after the US launched the Abbottabad raid to kill Osama bin Laden and militants attacked the Mehran base in Karachi.

He alleged that anchorpersons had overreacted to the two incidents with baseless criticism and lowered the authority and integrity of the military institutions in the eyes of people.

The petitioner asked whether hidden local and foreign hands were at work to destabilise the country and cause consternation, demoralisation and despondency among institutions responsible for security and defence of the country.

The petitioner sought a restraining order for the media against criticising the armed forces and intelligence agencies without verification and confirmation. He requested the court to set guidelines so that defence and security of the country might not be endangered and the armed forces and intelligence agencies be secured and guarded from mala fide and baseless allegations.

The petitioner asked whether the media was free to publish or telecast the court proceedings in whatever manner they liked and criticise and scandalise it and whether it was not the duty of the government, Pemra and other public functionaries to implement the law imposing reasonable restrictions on the freedom of the media and press.