The Supreme Court of Pakistan issued notices Wednesday to nearly three dozen news channels, demanding explanations for airing two press conferences critical of the judiciary.
A three-member bench of the top court headed by the Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faiz Isa issued the “show-cause” notices to 34 channels, seeking a response within two weeks.
The bench is hearing a case against two parliamentarians for making remarks against the judiciary in separate press conferences.
In mid-May, news channels aired press conferences by Faisal Vawda and Mustafa Kamal in which they criticized the judicial system and senior judges. Taking notice of the speeches, the top court demanded the two politicians explain their remarks.
“TV channels say someone spoke and we aired it, [that] this is freedom of expression,” Chief Justice Isa said Wednesday, criticizing news media’s decision to air the pressers live.
Ban on court reporting
Separately, the high court of Pakistan’s capital Islamabad clarified Wednesday that there was no ban on reporting court proceedings.
On May 21, Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority, or PEMRA, directed cable news channels to refrain from airing headlines, news tickers, and commentary about ongoing court cases until a final verdict was issued.
Hearing the pleas of journalist bodies against the regulator’s decision, the Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Amir Farooq said the media was free to report on judicial proceedings.
“There is no ban on court reporting,” Farooq said. “Only a prohibition on irresponsible reporting.”
The court adjourned the hearing until June 11.
Judiciary under pressure
Pakistan’s political turmoil is casting a shadow over the country’s judiciary. Since former Prime Minister Imran Khan was ousted in April 2022 in a parliamentary vote of no-confidence and publicly fell out with the powerful military, the judiciary in Pakistan has faced public criticism for its decisions, as well.
While some verdicts dealt a blow to Khan’s political prospects — like stripping his party of its electoral symbol cricket bat just a few weeks before the elections — other decisions provided him relief by throwing out charges, such as fomenting riots and leaking state secrets.
Senior judges also have complained of interference by intelligence agencies. In March of this year, a majority of the judges of the Islamabad High Court wrote a rare letter to the country’s chief justice alleging the military-run spy agencies were intimidating them and their relatives through abduction, torture, and surveillance of personal spaces to influence judgments.
In April, the personal documents of a high court judge and his family members were posted on X. The social media platform has been suspended in Pakistan since February 17, but it is accessible through VPNs or virtual private networks.
Journalists under pressure
Three media persons in recent days have also come under attack in Pakistan by unidentified assailants, prompting the Committee to Protect Journalists to call on the government to investigate the incidents.
According to CPJ, on May 29, unidentified gunmen shot journalist Haider Mastoi and cameraman Khan Muhammad Pitafi in the southern Sindh province.
On May 30, armed men shot journalist Chaudhry Ikhlaq in the country’s eastern province Punjab.
“Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government must stop this alarming rise in attacks against journalists and end this cycle of impunity that fuels a culture of violence against Pakistan media,” CPJ Asia Program Coordinator Beh Lih Yi said in a statement.
CPJ is investigating if the journalists were attacked for their reporting.
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Media watchdogs regard Pakistan as a dangerous country for journalists. Since 1992, when the CPJ started keeping a tally, at least 64 media persons have lost their lives. Most cases of journalists targeted for their work, however, remain unresolved.