ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Monday temporarily restrained implementation on a decision of a bench in a case pertaining to the purported harassment of journalists.
The directive was issued as a five-judge larger bench, headed by caretaker Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, resumed hearing of the case in a bid to provide clarity on the issue of invoking the jurisdiction of suo motu notice by a bench.
The other members of the bench include Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin Ahmad and Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar.
The top court constituted the bench on Saturday, a day after taking notice of the alleged incidents of harassment of journalists.
On Friday, a two-judge bench — consisting of Justice Qazi Faez Isa and Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhel — took up a notice on an application moved by the Press Association of the Supreme Court, highlighting the incidents of harassment of journalists. The bench took up the matter after Abdul Qayyum Siddiqui, a former president of the body, drew its attention to the matter.
The bench had also summoned top officials of three investigation agencies: the head of the Federal Investigation Agency, Islamabad police chief, and the federal interior secretary for a hearing on August 26.
However, on Saturday the court proceeded to constitute the larger bench while noting that the earlier bench had issued notices to the federal as well as provincial governments, other authorities and the law officers of the federation and provinces, and issued directives to fix the matter for August 26 before the same bench.
During the hearing Monday, the apex court, while suspending the decision, served notices on the attorney general of Pakistan, vice chairman of the Pakistan Bar Council and the president of the Supreme Court Bar Association for assistance in the case.
“The court will only look into the matter in a bid to provide clarity in respect of invocation of its suo motu jurisdiction,” the bench said.
The court adjourned the hearing until Wednesday.
