The Supreme Court's constitutional bench convened on Monday to address a suo motu case concerning the harassment of journalists, highlighting ongoing incidents that have raised alarm within the media community.
The seven-member bench, led by Justice Aminuddin Khan, took up the matter, with journalists pointing out the latest incidents of harassment. The court ordered the additional attorney general to contact the federal police and submit a report.
Senior journalist Matiullah Jan emphasized that the trend of filing false cases against journalists and subjecting them to harassment persists despite the case being under consideration for three years.
Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhel urged the bench to focus on recent incidents of harassment. "Let's forget about the previous cases. Let's look at the fresh cases of harassment they are talking about."
Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar remarked that if there is no violation of the law, there should be no harassment.
Lawyer Salahuddin, representing the Supreme Court Bar Association, pointed out that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) issues summons to journalists for inquiries and later picks them up.
Aqeel Afzal, the president of the Supreme Court Press Association, informed the court about a recent incident in which police raided the residence of Qamar Maiken, a reporter covering the Supreme Court. The bench expressed concern over such actions and directed the additional attorney general to consult with the inspector general of Islamabad police to address the grievances.
The bench ordered a detailed report on the matter to be submitted at the next hearing. The hearing was subsequently adjourned.
