Front Page – Page 100 – Pakistan Coalition on Media Safety

March 8, 2017

IHC wants blasphemous content on social media blocked

ISLAMABAD: Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui of Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday urged religious scholars to jointly deal with the issue of blasphemous content on social media.

The court observed that the bureaucracy had apparently failed to tackle such a sensitive issue which sometimes resulted in the murder of alleged blasphemers.

The judge, who was one of the authors of the verdict which upheld the conviction of Mumtaz Qadri, the murderer of Punjab governor Salman Taseer, remarked that if the government machinery did not stop blasphemous content from reaching citizens, people like Mumtaz Qadri would continue to take the law into their own hands.

Hearing a petition seeking the blockade of blasphemous contents and hate material on the social media, Justice Siddiqui directed Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan to appear before the court.

The court noted: “This matter requires immediate attention otherwise patience of the followers of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) may run out.”

Inspector General of Islamabad Police Tariq Masood Yasin said he was ready to take action if the court passed an order.

“This is a greatest form of terrorism and people involved in this heinous act are biggest terrorists,” the court observed, referring to the publication of blasphemous content and hate material on social media.

“It is shameful that delicate and sensitive matter in hand remained unattended by the executive of the country. It is also painful that the interior secretary did not bother to appear before the court and preferred to attend some office meeting.”

On Feb 27, the bench had directed the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to block pages or websites containing blasphemous material.

On Tuesday, Secretary Ministry of Information Technology Rizwan Bashir Khan, PTA Chairman Syed Ismail Shah, SSP (operations) Sajid Mehmood Kiani and officers of the Federal Investigation Agency appeared before the court. The petitioner adopted that the pages and videos against the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) and revered personalities had not been blocked by the respondents nor any step taken so far. As a result, the culprits were encouraged and fearlessly opening more pages using different names.

The petitioner claimed that religious people had demanded registration of cases against those responsible for uploading the blasphemous contents and hate material.

The court will take up the case again on Wednesday.

Dawn

The Nation: Blasphemers are terrorists: IHC judge

March 8, 2017

IHC summons Nisar over blasphemy on social sites

ISLAMABAD: Hearing a contempt petition against non-implementation of court orders regarding blockage of blasphemous content on the social media, Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday directed Minister for Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan to appear before the court in person on Wednesday (today).

The bench in its order noted: “This matter requires immediate attention, otherwise patience of the followers of Holy Prophet (S.A.W) may run out of control. Due to delicacy, importance and seriousness of the issue, let the honourable Minister for Interior Ch Nisar Ali Khan be directed to appear in person for tomorrow i.e. 08.03.2017, who is expected to take some steps in his own supervision to eliminate this evil, even at the cost of blocking entire social media”.

Inspector General (IG), Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), appeared before the court and assured that he was ready to take action if the court passes an order.Dictating order, Justice Siddiqui burst into tears and observed: “The most sacred personality of Hazrat Muhammad (S.A.W) who will be our Saviour on the Day of Judgement, blasphemy has been committed against him. We would not leave this issue to bureaucracy to handle. There will be proceedings against the blasphemers and against those who remained silent spectators. This is the greatest form of terrorism and people involved in this heinous act are biggest terrorists.

“It is shameful that a delicate and sensitive matter in hand remained unattended by the executive of the country. It is also painful that secretary Ministry of Interior did not bother to put appearance and preferred to attend some office meeting. This court has already observed that if some action in accordance with law in not taken against the culprits, who through stinking approach and shameful acts are indulged in constant disrespect/dishonour of Hazrat Muhammad (S.A.W), his companions (Sahaba-e-Karam R.A), Ahl-e-Bayt, pious wives of Hazrat Muhammad (S.A.W), the Holy Quran and even Allah Almighty, very serious law and order situation may disrupt the working of entire country”.

On February 27 the IHC bench had directed the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to block pages or websites containing blasphemous material on the social media. This is what petitioner Salman Shahid has been seeking with legal proceedings against the page administrators.

The petitioner has nominated Arif Ahmad Khan, Secretary Ministry of Interior, Azmat Ali Ranjha Secretary Ministry of Information Technology, DG FIA Muhammad Amlish, Dr Syed Ismail Shah Chairman PTA and Tariq Sultan Member Finance/Acting Chairman PTA as respondents.

Rizwan Bashir Khan, secretary MOIT;, Syed Ismail Shah, Chairman PTA; Inspector General Islamabad Capital Territory police Tariq Masood Yasin; SSP (operation), Sajid Mehmood Kiani and officers of FIA appeared before the court on Tuesday.

The News

March 7, 2017

SC conditionally allows airing of TV show

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court allowed anchorperson Dr Aamir Liaquat Hussain on Monday to continue with his controversial show Aisay Nahi Chalay Ga, but with certain restrictions.

The host will not conduct, distribute or broadcast any programme in private channel Bol News that amounts to hatred or disturbance of public peace.

Not only the anchorperson would desist from such a programme but he was also required to furnish transcripts of each programme, along with USB, before the SC registrar office so that the court could determine whether its prohibitory order was being followed or not, said an order issued by a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar.

The apex court had taken up an appeal filed by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority against the Islamabad High Court’s Feb 26 order which had given the anchorperson the go-ahead to conduct his show after suspending the ban imposed on his programme by Pemra for hate speech.

The Supreme Court observed that the high court had not considered its Feb 8 order while allowing the anchorperson to continue with the programme. The apex court had ordered the Bol News management to respond to Pemra’s Jan 26 ban for allegedly expounding hate speech against certain individuals, though in the meanwhile the programme would remain off-air.

While concluding the proceedings, the court also warned the anchorperson of initiating contempt of court proceedings in case of violation of its orders.

The apex court dictated in its order that the anchorperson, who was present in the courtroom, had given an undertaking that he would not hold any programme which violated Section 27 of the Pemra law.

Referring to a large number of complaints filed against the anchorperson in the Council of Complaints — a body constituted under the Pemra laws — the court ordered that all the complaints be handed over to Mr Hussain as well as the counsel for Messrs Labbaik (Pvt) Ltd, which owns the BOL News channel. They were directed to file their replies to the complaints with the regulator within three days.

However, the court said the media regulator would be absolutely free and independent to pass any order without prejudice to the present proceedings in the Supreme Court.

During the proceedings, the anchorperson accused Pemra of being vindictive against his programme and said that although the regulator was also seized with a number of complaints against another private TV channel, it was not taking any action against them.

He said Pemra chairman Absar Alam had committed contempt of court by appointing private counsel in the case contrary to a recent judgement of the apex court where engaging private counsel by government departments was censured.

But the chief justice observed that the court could not put any restriction on the freedom of speech and asked Pemra to decide the case against Mr Hussain within a week after listening to his point of view.

Dawn

The Nation: Websites containing blasphemous material

The Nation: Govt blames social media for stirring controversy

March 4, 2017

Daniel Pearl’s murderer getting all facilities under jail manual, say prison authorities

KARACHI: All facilities guaranteed under the jail manual, including meetings with family members and lawyer, are being provided in prison to Ahmed Omar Shaikh, who was convicted to death for killing American journalist Daniel Pearl.

Prison authorities stated this in a report submitted to a two-judge bench, headed by Justice Ahmed Ali M Sheikh, of the Sindh High Court (SHC), which had questioned provision of facilities to the convict in accordance with the jail manual.

Sheikh, the main convict in the foreign journalist’s murder, has challenged the death sentence awarded to him by the anti-terrorism court (ATC).

Pearl, the South Asia bureau chief of the Wall Street Journal, was kidnapped on January 23, 2002, from Karachi, and later beheaded by his captors.

The main accused, Sheikh, was sentenced to death on charges of kidnapping and killing the US journalist, while his three accomplices – Fahad Naseem, Syed Salman Saqib and Sheikh Muhammad Adil – were sentenced to life imprisonment with a fine of Rs500,000 each by the ATC, Hyderabad, on July 15, 2002. The court had also directed the convicts to pay Rs2 million to the victim’s widow, Marianne Pearl.

However, Shaikh had appealed to the high court against the death sentence and his accomplices also filed appeals later.

The state had also filed an appeal seeking enhancement of life terms into capital punishment of the three co-accused.

Sheikh is being kept in solitary confinement in a cell made for death convicts at the Hyderabad Central Jail since his conviction, as his appeal is awaiting decision since 2002.

In August, 2014, the SHC had ordered the prison authorities to provide proper facilities to Sheikh, who was confined in the ‘solitary death cell’ being a ‘condemned’ prisoner.

Sadia Rauf, the convict’s wife, had taken the provincial home and prison authorities to court for allegedly denying basic facilities to her husband in violation of the law.

She had blamed jail officials for ‘inhuman’ treatment of Sheikh in the shape of unabated solitary confinement and deprivation of all the basic facilities that he is entitled to receive under the Pakistan Prison Rules or jail manual.

The continued solitary confinement was having an adverse effect on his health but the jailer was determined to inflict torture on him by keeping him in solitary confinement and depriving him of other facilities, she had alleged.

The court was pleaded to order prison authorities to provide all the facilities, including meetings with the family members and lawyers, to the prisoner in accordance with the provisions of the jail manual.

During Friday’s proceedings, the prison authorities filed a report regarding compliance of the court’s previous order to provide facilities to the condemned prisoner. They maintained that all the facilities, including meetings with family and lawyers, were being provided to Shaikh strictly in accordance with the jail manual.

However, the convict’s lawyer was absent. Therefore, the bench adjourned the hearing for a date to be later notified by the office.

The Express Tribune

March 3, 2017

Pemra hears 29 channels viewpoint on fake blast report

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) on Thursday conducted a hearing of 29 TV channels with regard to airing fake news of a blast in Gulberg, Lahore on February 23.

The TV channels through their representatives submitted their replies to the show cause notices. It may be mentioned here that following a blast in Defence, Lahore on February 23, the fake news of blast created panic among the people.

The Pemra received a large number of complaints from the viewers who demanded action against the TV channels which had aired the fake news. During the personal hearing held at the Pemra headquarters, majority of representatives from TV channels admitted they had simply picked the story from other channels including the state run PTV and did not bother to double check before airing news.

However, the authority will today (Friday) present the TV channels replies along with the recommendations of hearing committee for an appropriate action.

The News

March 2, 2017

Pemra issues warning to music channel

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) on Wednesday issued a warning to 8XM music channel for exhibiting an indecent and objectionable song on February 26 in violation of the code of conduct implemented on the Supreme Court’s directives.

According to a Pemra press release issued here, the authority received countless complaints against the channel for telecast of the objectionable material on February 26 and the viewers demanded action against it as per rules.

It warned the channel to cautious in future and follow the code of conduct, and in case of any violation strict action would be taken under Pemra Ordinance 2002, Amended Pemra Act 2007 sections 29 and 30. The management of the channel was asked to inform the Pemra about its editorial policy of selection of the songs.

The News

March 1, 2017

IHC allows Amir Liaquat to conduct his show

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday allowed anchorperson Dr Amir Liaquat Hussain to conduct his show on a private television channel, suspending the ban imposed on his programme by Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra).

Pemra had banned Amir Liaquat’s show Aisay Nahi Chalay Ga for ‘hate speech’ in January. Following the court order, the show went on air on Tuesday night.

IHC Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui, while suspending the ban, observed that “prima facie, impugned order is motivated and has been passed unilaterally; therefore, it is suspended”.

He summoned Pemra chairman Absar Alam on March 7 with the direction to bring a detailed report regarding imposition of ban the Pemra imposed in a year on anchorpersons, guests, and self-proclaimed intellectuals for propagating against ideology of Pakistan, religion, state institutions like judiciary, army and the Constitution.

Before Pemra slapped the ban on Amir Liaquat, he was already facing criticism for leveling allegations of blasphemy against some bloggers in his programme.

The court, however, directed the anchorperson to restrain himself from showing blasphemous contents in his programme.

The court order said: “It is the state’s responsibility to take action against the persons involved in such activity, so that they may be dealt with in accordance with law.”

On Monday, the same court directed the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to block websites containing blasphemous material.

Dawn

The Nation: IHC rejects TV channel’s plea to suspend PEMRA decision