ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) today (Saturday) constituted a five-member larger bench, headed by Acting Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Umar Atta Bandial, to hear the journalists’ harassment case.
According to a court order, the other members of the bench included Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan, Justice Munib Akhbar, Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin Ahmad and Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, it added.
Noting deviation of the said directions from the established practice of the court and in order to obtain clarity, the court order read, a five-member larger bench, headed by Justice Umar Atta has been constituted to hear the case on Monday.
On Friday, the top court had summoned the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) director general over his department allegedly harassing media personnel.
“The FIA appears to have overstepped its legal mandate and undermined the peoples’ confidence in the judiciary, which is the guarantor of fundamental rights,” read a five-page order authored by Justice Qazi Faez Isa over an application submitted by the Press Association of Supreme Court (PAS).
“By such tactics, the respect, regard and confidence of the people in the judiciary may be undermined and [it] may also be disrespected and portrayed as standing with FIA,” it added.
The two-member bench of the apex court had passed an order, on an application requiring action against harassment of journalists in Pakistan.
The bench had issued notices to federal as well as provincial government authorities, law officers of federation and provinces and issued directions to fix the matter for August 26 before the same bench.
Earlier this month, the FIA had arrested two senior journalists in Lahore for their “disrespectful attitude” against the Pakistan Army, the judiciary and women.
