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ISLAMABAD: Justice Qazi Faez Isa today (Monday) has asserted that he was being publicly maligned and propaganda against him was being spread through controlled media.
The Supreme Court (SC) resumed the hearing of Justice Isa application seeking the apex court permission to allow live TV coverage of the proceedings of his review petition against June 19 order.
A 10-member full-court presided by Justice Omar Atabandial heard the case. “I am being publicly maligned. Propaganda is being spread against me through controlled media,” he added.
He further said that the government wanted a controlled media therefore people are going on social media platforms like YouTube. “The government is scared of the truth, therefore it was opposing his application for a live broadcast of his review petition,” he added.
Justice Isa said that his life has been under a microscope for the last two years. “Now I want to public it but they (government) do not want to do so,” the Justice added.
During the proceedings, Additional Attorney General Amir Rehman said the federal government declared Justice Faiz Issa’s petition inadmissible. “Review requests cannot be pleased to be broadcasted live,” the AAG said, adding, “Section 184/3 cannot be applied in the review case.”
He added that no new position can be taken in the review case whereas the law mentions open court hearings and not media coverage. “Does freedom of expression mean live broadcast?” Rehman asked.
Another bench member Justice Mansoor Ali Shah said that technology has helped the court in many matters. “Hearing on the video link was also by the virtue of technology,” he added.
“The federal government should not tell us what to do,” the apex judge said adding that live broadcasts are the prerogative of the court, not the federal government.
Justice Shah remarked that we live in a global village and have to keep up with the world.“There is nothing secret about court proceedings,” he added. The apex court adjourned the hearing till March 17.
