The Supreme Court on Monday removed State Minister for Information Marriyum Aurangzeb from a search committee set up to select the new chairman of Pakistan Electronic Media Regulation Authority (PEMRA).
Hearing a suo motu case pertaining to media commission, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar observed that PEMRA must be independent and free of any role of the government.
Appearing on notice, Additional Attorney General (AAG) Rana Waqar apprised the court that with the approval of the prime minister, the government has constituted a seven-member committee which includes prominent journalists and chairman of the Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA). He said the committee will form a three-member panel to select an appropriate person to head PEMRA. To a court query that the exercise may take a long time, Rana Waqar assured that the whole task will be completed within three weeks.
After hearing the AAG, the court formed a ‘search committee’ to appoint new PEMRA chairman. The court, however, replaced Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Maryam Aurangzeb with the Information Secretary Ahmad Nawaz Sukhera. The chief justice noted that the minister must be busy in giving statements to defend the government and it could be difficult for her to spare time for the committee. “The court does not want to hang a sword over the government about the issue, however, it should be done,” the chief justice observed.
During the proceedings, the AAG stated that he was aware that the issues raised by the chief justice will be concluded by him before leaving office in December this year. The chief justice then noted that the media commission case was not initiated by him, however he will dispose of it before leaving office.
The chief justice noted that the court was showing utmost patience and exercising extreme restraint against the unjust criticism being made against it. He recalled that anti-judiciary slogans were raised by some workers of ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), particularly women, outside the Supreme Court building on Friday after the verdict regarding interpretation of Article 62 of the constitution was announced.
Apparently referring to the ruling party’s electoral symbol ‘lion’, the chief justice said he did not know any lion, however his fellow judges were the real lions. He said respect should be given to the judges at least equal to that given to the elders.
Without naming PML-N, the chief justice said they take shelter behind women, but if they had any honour and courage they must themselves come on the front.
During the hearing, Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed observed that independence of media was conditional to the independence of judiciary, adding that if judiciary would be weak then media will also be weak. Meanwhile, the court adjourned the hearing for two weeks.
Published in Daily Times, April 17th 2018.
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