Pakistan Prohibits Media Coverage Of Contempt Against Judiciary

In compliance with a Supreme Court directive, the federal government has instructed TV channels and newspapers to refrain from airing or publishing content deemed disrespectful to the judiciary.

The Press Information Department (PID) issued a notification referring to the Supreme Court’s order on May 17. The court had issued show-cause notices to Senator Faisal Vawda and MQM-P leader Mustafa Kamal for their critical press conferences against the judiciary.

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Quoting the Supreme Court’s directive, the PID notification warned that broadcasting or publishing material considered contemptuous of the court could result in legal action.

A three-member bench of the Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, Justice Irfan Saadat Khan, and Justice Naeem Akhtar Afgan, issued a written order on May 18 in response to a suo motu case regarding Vawda and Kamal’s press conferences.

The court’s order prohibited the media from disseminating content deemed contemptuous of the judiciary, emphasizing potential legal consequences for non-compliance.

Vawda and Kamal were issued show-cause notices by the bench, which found their statements prima facie contemptuous. They were granted a two-week period to provide explanations and were instructed to appear before the court on June 5.