Geo TV’s morning show Archives - Pakistan Coalition on Media Safety

The anti-terrorism court in Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan convicted four persons to 26 years in prison and a fine of 1.30 million rupees (approx. US$130,000) each for blasphemy.

Those convicted include Mir Shakil-ur-Rehman, owner of Geo Television network, Geo TV’s morning show host Shaista Lodhi, actress Veena Malik and her husband Malik Asad. [NOTE: The case stems from a Geo TV broadcast that included a scene loosely based on the marriage of the Prophet Muhammad’s daughter.]

The court also ordered the sale the property of the four ‘proclaimed offenders’ under Section 19(10) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, in case of disobedience.

The president of the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE), Mujibur Rehman Shami and the president of the All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS), Hameed Haroon termed the conviction of Mir Shakil-ur-Rehman and associated media persons as unlawful and a threat to press freedom.

In a joint statement they said that under Article 19 of the Constitution the punishment was contrary to the press freedom. They termed the Gilgit-Baltistan (empowerment and self governance) Order 2009 – under which the judicial system has been devised for the area – against the basic concept of human rights granted to the citizens of Pakistan in the Constitution; they added that illegal sentences given to the journalists in Gilgit-Baltistan are dangerous for press freedom throughout the country.

The statement said that even though there are some basic human rights specified in the controversial order, two important human rights stipulated in the 1973 Constitution of Pakistan – according to Articles 10A and 13 – are not taken in consideration in the order.

According to Article 10A, it is the right of every citizen to be given an impartial and complete hearing in a criminal case, while under Article 13 a person cannot be tried more than one time for a single offence. The joint statement specifies that it would be a violation of these two basic human rights if a Pakistani citizen, who is not a resident of Gilgit-Baltistan or is not present there, is punished for an alleged crime by shifting the hearing of a case there.

They also urged the Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif to take immediate notice of the situation. The Prime Minister has the power to cancel the punishment awarded by the anti-terrorism court and he must utilise these powers, otherwise such acts would be like a ‘sword of Damocles’ hanging over the heads of Pakistani journalists.

IFEX

The post Pakistani media owner, three others sentenced to 26 years’ imprisonment for blasphemy appeared first on Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF).

By: Jamil Nagri

GILGIT: An anti-terrorism court has sentenced the owner of the Jang-Geo group Mir Shakeelur Rehman, host of Geo TV’s morning show Shaista Lodhi, actress Veena Malik and her husband Malik Asad to 26-year imprisonment and a fine of Rs1.3 million each for hurting religious sentiments of people in the show.

Announcing the verdict on Tuesday, ATC judge Raja Shahbaz ordered inspectors general of police of Islamabad, Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to arrest the convicts and execute his order.

The court also asked the commissioners of Karachi and Rawalpindi and the deputy commissioner of Islamabad to sell the property of the four ‘proclaimed offenders’ under Section 19(10) of the Anti-Terrorism Act in case of disobedience.

On May 26 this year, Himayatullah Khan, senior vice president of the Gilgit-Baltistan chapter of Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat, had lodged an FIR with the Baseen police station saying the show had defiled Ahle Bait by playing a contemptuous Qawwali in its morning show.

According to the judgment, the competent authority had constituted a joint investigation team (JIT) on June 6 on a request made by the DIG. After completion of the JIT investigation, the case was submitted before the ATC on Sept 1.

The judgment said the accused had been declared absconders by the JIT.

“After evaluation of the entire evidence of the prosecution, I am of the considered opinion that the prosecution has proved its case against proclaimed offenders and absconders,” the judge said in the verdict.

“I convict proclaimed offenders under sections of Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997,” the judge said.

The compliance report be submitted before this court within 90 days and the record of the case may be transmitted to the Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Court, the judgment said.

Meanwhile, a police source said that 10 FIRs had been registered against the owner of the Geo TV network and the morning show host at different police stations in Gilgit city, two in Skardu and one in Chilas.

DAWN

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