• Disposes of contempt proceedings
• CJP Isa says ‘fake news’ always eclipses the truth
• Court has already accepted apologies from Vawda, Kamal

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Thursday disposed of contempt proceedings against 34 television channels by accepting their unqualified apologies after the media outlets committed to broadcasting their regrets on prime time.

The TV channels are also required to air six paragraphs from the June 28 order in which the court had issued show-cause notices to them. Owners or senior executive officers of media houses attended the proceedings in the Courtroom No 1. Of them, 26 senior executive officers were represented by Faisal Siddiqui.

Headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, a four-judge bench had taken up the contempt case against 34 TV channels for airing the outburst of Senator Faisal Vawda and MNA Mustafa Kamal against judiciary at separate press conferences.

On June 28, the court discharged contempt notices against both the lawmakers after accepting their apologies.

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On Thursday, the court seemed bitter when it questioned why the damaging excerpts of the pressers had been re-broadcast several times but the apologies they tendered before the court had been suppressed.

In its order, the court noted that the television channels had also assured that they would not repeat such a mistake in future and that they would abide by their commitment.

The counsel also assured the court that the TV channels would not only broadcast the stated apologies on prime time, but would also mention six paragraphs from the June 28 order in which show-cause notices had been issued to them.

Additional Attorney General Chaudhry Aamir Rehman referred to the 1996 Khalid Masood case in which the principle of contempt of court was determined, but highlighted the glorious tradition of courts which after receiving unconditional apologies always showed grace by pardoning the contemnors and always considered the apologies as the mitigating factor.

Pakistan Broadcasting Associa­tion Chairman Shakeel Masood Hussain informed the court about the self-accountability mechanism and sifting process before relaying the news items.

Faisal Siddiqui said improvement would be made to better or develop a system if channels lacked self-accountability or were deficient in the mechanism to ensure that the news report was correct and not defamatory.

The CJP wondered about imparting training to YouTubers on how to become a good journalist by adhering to the norms of morality and dignity.

“At the advent of 12th Rabi-ul-Awwal,” the CJP observed, “we should at least learn by following the teachings of the Holy Quran and the Holy Prophet (PBUH).”

He regretted about the general environment of hatred which had been created in society by inviting the individuals over and over again who always misbehaved and demonstrated bad behaviour in talk shows to present sensationalism only for the sake of ratings.

The dissemination of ‘lies’ without checking the veracity of the news or hurling abuses at every institution of the country destroyed the very fabric of society, the CJP regretted, adding that fake news always eclipsed the truth.

CJP Isa also regretted about the new trend on part of TV channels to compete with unbridled social media, the only purpose of which was to earn dollars. “Is this the kind of country we want?” he wondered.

“Arrogance is also on the rise and everybody knows everything,” the CJP bemoaned, adding that media by adhering to the truth would only gain strength since it was the fourth pillar of the state to keep a check on the judiciary, parliament and the government.

Published in Dawn, September 13th, 2024