ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa has made it absolutely clear that the press intimidation of anyone would not be tolerated henceforth, since essential basic rights were also involved.
He made these remarks while hearing the petition filed against the journalists for allegedly running a malicious campaign against the judges and the judiciary. Justice Isa also lamented the lack of news verification process in the media outlets, citing the remarks of former Rawalpindi commissioner Liaquat Ali Chattha.
He had accused the CJP and the Election Commission of Pakistan of connivance at the recently held general elections. He had said that the CJP and the ECP had blatantly rigged the elections in favour of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the Pakistan Peoples Party.
Justice Isa expressed disappointment in the media outlets, stating that it was a global practice to verify the news first before airing it. “When the credibility of the institutions are tarnished, we all get affected,” the CJP added.
He also shed light on the intricacies of Article 19 and stated that while it guaranteed the freedom of expression to everyone, it didn’t allow mud-slinging. He also rejected the reports produced against the journalists by the Islamabad Police and the Federal Investigation Agency.