SC allows release of 200 reels to Jang group
ISLAMABAD, FEBRUARY 3: The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the government to release 200 reels of newsprint to the Jang group of newspapers and issued notice to the chairman of the Central Board of Revenue why Customs authorities had not released 1,093 reels of newsprint as was directed by the court in its order passed on February 1.
The three-member bench of the court comprising Justice Khalilur Rehman Khan, justice Shaikh Ijaz Nisar and Justice Mohammad Arif took up the contempt of court petition filed by Mir Shakil-ur Rehman on Wednesday. The court decided to issue notice to the party and refused to pass any other order without hearing the respondents.
“Since the government has decided not to implement the order, we have to issue them notice to hear their point of view,” Justice Khalilur Rehman Khan observed who presided over the bench.
Abid Hasan Minto, the counsel for the Jang group stated that despite clear orders by the bench on Monday, the government deliberately decided not to release the newsprint to the petitioner.
He further stated that FIA snatched the newsprint stored in the godowns of Jang. The courts decided to issue notice to the respondents (Chairman CBR) to submit reply till February 9.
The court made it clear that it would not pass any order without hearing the other party. At this stage the counsel stated that if the Jang group newspaper was not allowed to use the newsprint for which it, had paid taxes, then its publications could not be printed and till February 9 there would be no publication of Jang group of newspapers.
The court inquired from the counsel what was the requirement of client to print the newspaper till February 9, the counsel of the group, after consulting Mir Shakilur Rehman, asked the court to allow at least 500 reels.
Mir Shakilur Rehman himself told the court that he was suffering a lot by printing four-page newspaper, as his group was not able to print any advertisement due to lack of newsprint.
The court rose with the observation that it would order the government to provide 200 reels of newsprint to the Jang group.
When pointed out by the counsel that some officials of the court must be assigned to get the order implemented, the court stated that Registrar Supreme Court would asked to communicate the order to the concerned authorities.
The Jang group in its application under Article 204 of the Constitution said that interim relief to the petitioner in respect of the release of the newsprint (1,094) reels was communicated to the Collector of Customs (Appraisement) Custom House Karachi on Feb 2.
The Customs officials refused to release the newsprint as per the orders of the Supreme Court and the FIA snatched away the newsprint belonging to the petitioner which was lying in their godowns and from where they were seeking to transport some of it to their press for use on the evening of Feb 1.
The applicant also stated that the local administration at Rawalpindi, the FIA, and WAPDA officials have appeared at the premises of the newspaper to disconnect the electricity although all the bills and dues regarding use of electricity were paid.
The applicant prayed to the court to issue show cause notice asking the officials to explain why contempt of court proceedings should not be initiated against them for not honouring the Supreme Court order.
The applicant further prayed for direction to the respondent to implement the order dated 1.2.99 and release 1,094 reels of newsprint forthwith.
Source: Dawn
Date:2/4/1999
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