ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) today (Monday) has rejected the petition seeking ‘ban’ on airing speeches of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif.
According to details, IHC Chief Justice Justice Athar Minallah rejected the plea and declared the petition ‘inadmissible’. The verdict stated that IHC’s intervention to ban the speeches of the former Prime Minister was not right.
“The court cannot directly intervene when there was an alternative procedure in the law,” Minallah said, adding that banning Nawaz Sharif s speeches was not a case of public importance.
The court further observed that there was an alternate forum for the redressal of these issues, adding that the complainant could not satisfy the court regarding which of his rights were being affected by the matter.
The four-page detailed verdict upheld that the high court’s intervention in the matter concerning Nawaz Sharif’s speech was not right. The court said that when the law provided for an issue to be taken on an alternate forum, then the court cannot directly intervene.
Earlier on October 3, IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah had fixed October 5 as the date for hearing the petition – seeking a ban on airing speeches of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz supreme leader Nawaz Sharif and party President Shehbaz Sharif on television channels.
The plea was filed by a citizen, Amir Aziz, who has made Sharif, Shehbaz, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) chairman and others, respondents.
The petitioner contended in his plea that the convicted former premier during his recent speeches had maligned the state institutions and a convict’s speech cannot be allowed to be broadcast on media.
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