FIA registers 100 inquiries against journalists, politicians as per law: Solangi
ISLAMABAD – The Supreme Court of Pakistan will take up the suo motu notice of the alleged harassment of journalists by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Monday (today).
A three-member SC bench headed by the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Qazi Faez Isa and comprising Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Musarrat Hilali will hear the matter. Earlier, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) took suo motu notice of the alleged harassment of journalists by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in the backdrop of an alleged malicious campaign targeted towards superior judiciary.
While defending the notices issued by the FIA, Caretaker Minister for Information, Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Solangi on Sunday said that the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) was investigating the “malicious campaign” against the top judiciary on social media in accordance with the law.
Addressing a news conference along with officials of the FIA, PTA and other relevant institutions, the minister said the JIT was formed on January 16 to probe into the anti-judiciary campaign on the social media networking sites.
He said the JIT’s first meeting held was on January 17 while the second one convened on January 23. The process to probe into the drive was still underway, he added. So far, 600 social media accounts were investigated, he said, adding as many as 100 inquiries were registered.
The minister said notices were served on 110 individuals that included 32 journalists and 22 politicians and political workers. The notices to the identified individuals were served in accordance with the law, Solangi said while brushing aside the reports regarding the harassment of journalists in the matter related to a “malicious campaign” against top judges.
The minister said it was imperative to bring forth the facts in this regard. So far no First Information Report was lodged against anybody and nobody arrested for this matter.
Solangi said the law would take its own course and actions against those who were involved in running the campaign against the judiciary would be taken in accordance with the law. To a query, he said there were reasonable restrictions on the freedom of expression and the law of the land prohibited from running campaigns against the judiciary and Armed Forces.
“This is not about criticism rather it is related to character assassination and ridiculing [of the judiciary],” he said in response to another query.
“What has been done against the judges of the apex court during the last couple of days on social media, it does not come under the pretext of criticism,” he said while clarifying that there should be a fine line between the criticism and ridiculing someone.
To another query, he said the caretaker government could only take measures in accordance with its mandate. However, the legislation on any issue was the job of the Parliament whose lower house did not exist as of now.
“Nobody has been picked up since the JIT is formed,” he said while dispelling the impression of a witch-hunt under the garb of the JIT.
He said the intensity of the malicious campaign had decreased significantly since the formation of the JIT.
FIA Director General Ahmad Ishaque Jahangir said notices were served to give an opportunity to the identified individuals to give their side of version on the issue. “Not every notice end up in the FIR,” he added.
The suo motu notice was taken by the CJP following the adoption of a joint resolution by the Press Association of the Supreme Court (PAS) and the Islamabad High Court Journalist Association (IHCJA) and after his meeting in chambers with the newly elected representatives of the two bodies.
The case will be taken up along with another one instituted in 2021 at the request of the PAS regarding harassment of journalists. The court office has also intimated the Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP), PEMRA chairman, FIA director general and the Islamabad police chief with a directive to appear in person before the court.
The resolution was adopted after the PAS and IHCJA representatives held a joint meeting against the back drop of reports circulating on social media that the FIA’s cyber wing, after taking notice of the smear campaign against judges, had issued notices to around 47 journalists.
The resolution regretted that FIA notices had sent a chilling effect and caused concern among the reporters who cover the proceedings of the Supreme Court and contravenes the rights guaranteed under Article 19 of the Constitution.
Both the elected bodies, while condemning the notices to journalists, called upon the authorities not to harass them, and immediately withdraw the notices or else both groups will approach the representative bodies of journalists to chalk out a future line of action.
Source: The Nation
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