News Desk |
The Supreme Court of Pakistan accepted an unconditional apology tendered by the representatives of The News and Jang for ‘misreporting’ Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar’s remarks yesterday. According to details, a three-member bench headed by the top judge and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Sajjad Ali Shah heard a case pertaining to Bani Gala encroachment case in which the CJP had passed some comments.
The SC reportedly grilled the Capital Development Authority (CDA) for its inability to regulate property/land. The apex court also emphasized on payment of property regularisation fee during the hearing. The top judge had reportedly distanced himself from those remarks, explaining that the court had been referring to the CDA in the Banigala case, not the government, and issued notices to the publications.
The top judge advised the media houses to refrain from indulging in petty politics and malicious campaigns against the sitting government at the cost of greater instability in the country.
It is important to mention here that The News and GEO misreported the matter saying “the PTI-led government has no plan and capabilities to run the affairs of the state.” During the yesterday’s hearing Jang Editor Hanif Khalid, who was present in court, was asked by Justice Nisar to explain how his remarks were misreported and published, and then debated on television later that night.
The CJP also reminded the editor of the fact that their reporter did not come to the court. “Your reporter does not even come to court. You want institutions to clash with each other,” the CJP remarked. The top judge, irked by the irresponsible reporting, further asked: “Are we sitting here to harm institutions?” Justice Ijazul Ahsan said: “Why is it only your organization that misreports stories? You report the news wrong and then join your hands in forgiveness the next day.”
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some political party in the opposition. The CJP is known across Pakistan for his efforts to ensure the rule of law and equality before the law to every citizen of Pakistan irrespective of his social background and political affiliations. Some very harsh comments which were associated with the top judge against a newly elected government were a matter of concern for the sitting government.
The apex court also emphasized on payment of property regularisation fee during the hearing.
Legal experts maintained that the CJP could not say anything like that. “The top judge knows that the government is newly elected and any comments like the media has presented can hurt the legitimacy it is enjoying at the movement,” one of the lawyers told GVS. It is worth mentioning here that the news was reported to the SC and a suo moto was taken by the top judge. Had the CJP had not taken up the matter yesterday, the PTI would have paid a heavy price at political fronts.
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The opposition and particularly Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) took up the matter and criticized the government just after the remarks by the CJP were misreported. The top judge advised the media houses to refrain from indulging in petty politics and malicious campaigns against the sitting government at the cost of greater instability in the country. The representatives of The News and Jang agreed not to publish any news irresponsibly. But as a matter of fact, the misreporting of top judge’s remarks by the Geo has once again exposed the publication and its hidden political agenda.