SC to take up Jang Group petition on Feb 1 | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

SC to take up Jang Group petition on Feb 1

ISLAMABAD: A three member Supreme Court bench will start hearing from February 1 of Jang Group’s petition filed against the government’s attempt to muzzle the freedom of the press.

The bench is headed by Mr. Justice Khalil ur Rahman Khan, and comprises Mr. Justice Sheikh Ijaz Nisar and Mr. Justice Chaudhry Muhammad Arif.

The Jang Group, on behalf of its Chief Executive Mir Shakil ur Rehman, filed a petition on Wednesday out lining the arbitrary actions that the government had taken in the last seven months to prevent newspapers from presenting facts to their readers.

President SC Bar Association (SCBA) Abid H. Minto will plead Jang Group’s case, in which the ministries of interior and information, Chairman EB Senator Saifur Rahman, FIA and Central Board of Revenue (CBR) have been made respondents. The petitioner had requested the apex court to declare as mala-fide and without lawful authority the government’s arbitrary actions against the Jang Group and individual associated with it. The government has violated the fundamental right of freedom of press expression guaranteed under Article 19 of the Constitution, the petition submitted , praying the court to direct the government to immediately stop the entire victimization campaign against the Jang Group of newspapers and its companies, directors and employees. The petitioner prays to direct to direct the ministry of information to immediately restore government advertisements to the Jang Group as before and on the basis of a clear and transparent policy, declare the arbitrary withholding of government advertisements to the newspapers as violating fundamental rights, direct the ministry of information to formulate equitable policy for a just distribution of government advertisements to newspapers.

The petition also requested the SC to direct Senator Saifur Rahman to refrain from monitoring and supervising the petitioners , stop him from pursuing a victimization campaign against the JANG Group or any other newspaper.

The petition also prayed to prohibit FIA from raiding any offices of the petitioners and from registering false cases or conducting investigations against them;

Quash all mala fide orders and show cause notices by the income tax, wealth tax and custom authorities issued on the directives of Senator Saifur Rahman; Direct the CBR and the functionaries working under tit to immediately release the newsprint, direct the respondents not to interfere in any professional work or the editorial and personnel policies of the newspapers, magazines and publications of the petitioners, direct the CBR to prohibit investigation in all pending tax matters of the petitioners by biased officials acting under the dictation of Senator Saifur Rehman. No assessment pr any order in any tax matter relating to the petitioners should be passed without first obtaining permission, the petition submitted.

Source: The News
Date:1/31/1999