=> ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

=> ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned the hearing of Geo Television case till January 7 after the deputy attorney general told the court that the government has not yet received the paper book from the petitioners.

A three-member bench of the Supreme Court comprising Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar, Justice Muhammad Moosa K Laghari and Justice Mian Hamid Farooq was hearing identical petitions filed by Geo Television against the suspension of its transmission.

The Independent Media Corporation Private Limited and Birds Private Limited had filed a civil petition for leave to appeal in the Supreme Court of Pakistan on December 10 against the dismissal by the Sindh High Court (SHC) on December 4 of applications challenging closure of Geo Television Network transmission.

The apex court during the last hearing had issued notices to the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra), Federation of Pakistan and the attorney general in a case regarding suspension of transmission of Geo TV and adjourned the hearing till January 1, 2008.

On Tuesday, Deputy Attorney General Nahida Mahboob Elahi appeared before the bench and submitted that she has not yet received copies of the identical petitions filed by the petitioners.

She further said that as Attorney General Malik Muhammad Qayyum was abroad, therefore, she sought some time from the court. Meanwhile, the court adjourned the hearing till January 7.

Muhammad Ali Mazhar advocate, counsel for Geo television, while appearing before the court submitted that although they have signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and also signed the code of conduct of the amended Pemra ordinance but despite of that the government was delaying the re-opening of two channels of Geo television. He pleaded for re-opening of Geo News and Geo Super.

Earlier, a division bench of the SHC comprising Justice Muneeb Ahmed Khan and Justice Dr Rana Muhammad Shamim had dismissed as non-maintainable the identical petitions of the Independent Media Limited and Birds Private Limited against closure of the transmission of Geo News, Geo Entertainment, Geo Super and Aag channels after five hearings, observing that several fundamental rights are suspended under the state of emergency and Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO).

On November 3, President Pervez Musharraf had declared the state of emergency in the country and as a result transmissions of various private television channels were suspended. Later, the Perma ordinance was amended and after the assurance from TV channels transmissions were restored except Geo television.
Source: The News
Date:1/2/2008