KARACHI: The Sindh High Court was informed that the prime minister had rejected a summary for constitution of the Copyright Board with some observations and directed the ministry of commerce to nominate a fresh panel for consideration.

When a two-judge bench headed by Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar took up for hearing a petition seeking constitution of the Copyright Board, assistant attorney general Hussain Bohra submitted that in compliance with the earlier order he had discussed the matter with the ministry of commerce.

He informed the bench that the earlier summary to form the Copyright Board was placed before the prime minister, but it was rejected with certain observations and the ministry was directed to nominate a fresh panel for consideration.

He further submitted that the ministry of commerce would again submit another summary for consideration and requested for some time to file a report.

The bench directed him to file a progress report by March 10.

Dropout students

Meanwhile, the same bench has directed the Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) to inform it whether universities/colleges allowed the dropout students to attempt more chances.

An ATC dismisses bail plea of PTM leader MNA Ali Wazir

The bench was hearing a petition of some dropout students and adviser to the vice chancellor of the Jinnah Sindh Medical University had placed a statement to show that the names of petitioners had been communicated to the PMC as dropout students.

The bench observed that in an earlier hearing the lawyer for the PMC had given a statement that now under the new regime of law, it was the prerogative of universities/colleges to frame their own policies to provide a number of chances to students to take examination.

The bench directed the PMC counsel to seek instructions on the premise that if universities/colleges allowed them to attempt more chances from batch-2014 and onwards then whether their registration would be restored on the basis of universities/colleges’ policies or not.

MNA’s bail plea rejected

An antiterrorism court has dismissed the bail application of Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) leader and MNA Ali Wazir in a case pertaining to allegedly using provocative language against state institutions.

Police had arrested Mohammad Ali, better known as Ali Wazir, and others in December 2020 for allegedly using defamatory and provocative language against state institutions and the army during a rally in Sohrab Goth.

The applicant’s lawyer moved a bail application and after hearing both sides, the ATC-XII judge dismissed the plea and allowed bail of five co-suspects.

The ATC directed the investigating officer to get the opinion about the audio contents of the DVDs from the National Response Centre for Cyber Crime and observed that since the applicant’s lawyer raised objection on such a deficiency he would be at liberty to file his bail afresh on the basis of such a report.

The court order says, “No doubt, the Urdu transcript made by director Pashto academy, University of Peshawar, of such speeches are tentatively accessed by this court and found the contents, which prima facie connects to incite hatred and attempts to excite disaffection towards the State institutions like Pakistan Army, Rangers and Police and also found therein the contents regarding the association of accused Ali Wazir with Afghanistan.”

Published in Dawn, February 7th, 2021