Title: SC fixes hearing of journalists' harassment case for Aug 26
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The Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan took notice on Friday of the harassment of journalists and summoned the director general of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Inspector General police Islamabad, and secretary of the interior along with reports into the matter on August 26.
Moreover, the apex court summoned secretary information and secretary of the ministry of human rights with reports.
The plea was heard by a two-judge bench headed by Justice Qazi Faez Isa and Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhel.
The court also issued notices to CPNA, APNS, PBA and PFUJ to appear on the date of the hearing.
The SC sought reports of attacks on journalists and the progress in the cases filed against the same.
The court further sought the footage of the Safe City project and the expenses incurred by the authority.
Read FIA’s practice of ‘calling to office sans reason harassment’
It also sought, from the information ministry, the details of advertisements and its beneficiaries during the last one year.
The petition was filed by Press Association of Supreme Court, journalist Imran Shafqat, Abdul Qayyum Siddiqui, Amir Mir and Ajmad Bhatti.
The court directed the respondents to submit their written responses by August 26. The court directed that the case be fixed for a hearing on the sate date "before the bench".
The SC said that it took notice of the matter in public interest under Article 184(3) of the Constitution.
The apex court termed harassment to journalists and usurping of their right to speech an issue of public interest.
On July 7, the Reporters Without Borders named 37 heads of state and government as the ‘predators of press freedom,’ accusing them of cracking down massively on journalists by resorting to censorship, imprisonment and torture in their countries.
Prime Minister Imran Khan, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Indian Premier Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un among others were named in the report.
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Published Date: 20-Aug-2021
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