LAHORE, May 24: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday issued notices to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) and Altaf Husain on a civil miscellaneous application seeking a ban on media coverage of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief’s addresses/speeches.

Advocate Fayaz Ahmad Mehar attached the application to his main petition seeking prosecution of Husain for treason for demanding secession of Karachi from Pakistan.

The petitioner asked the court to issue a stay order and restrain media houses through the Pemra from broadcasting Husain’s speeches in future. He pointed out that the respondent (Husain) was set to address his party leaders and workers over telephone from London on Saturday (today).

He said situation could worsen if Husain was allowed to address the gathering again. He urged the court to issue a restraining order against the media coverage of the address.

The court turned down the request for immediate relief and observed that it would be appropriate to listen to the other side before passing any stay order.

The court issued notices to the respondents for next week and directed a law officer to ensure submission of replies by the parties.

The court had already issued notices to the federal government, interior and foreign affairs ministries and Husain on the main petition filed by the lawyer who has been affiliated with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.

PLEA: A single bench of the Lahore High Court on Friday referred two petitions seeking reopening of cases of Ghazi Ilmuddin Shaheed and Bhagat Singh to the chief justice.

Justice Shujaat Ali Khan asked the chief justice to form a larger bench to hear the cases because of important legal points raised by the petitioner.

Advocate Abdul Rasheed Qureshi filed these petitions, saying a prejudiced bench consisting of LHC non-Muslim judges had awarded death to Ghazi Ilmuddin Shaheed in 1929 for killing a Hindu publisher who said something blasphemous about the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him).

Secondly, the petitioner said Bhagat Singh was a freedom fighter and he fought for independence of the subcontinent. He said Singh was hanged by British rulers on March 23, 1931, after being tried for a conspiracy against the regime.

He said Singh was initially jailed for life, but later he was awarded death in a ‘fabricated’ case. The petitioner asked the court to set aside the conviction in both cases and honour the two with state awards.