Re: Pakistan's top judge is suspended
However, former chief justice Saeed-uz-Zaman Siddiqui played it fairly safe with milder comments. "It is not good for the judiciary and its reputation has been greatly affected.** But the president has the right to take such an action and whether it is right or wrong, can only be determined when the report is presented by the SJC.**
This is the quote you should be paying attention to. Not those of the human rights activists.
Re: Pakistan’s top judge is suspended
LOL, there is nothing to say that is not already known, except apparently to you.
NS was a major industrialist long before he became PM
BB owns the Surrey mansion, but that is just one house.
Does she own more? or course she does, as do NS, Mush, Chuadry Shujjat and others, just because we don’t know about it doesn’t mean anything.
when the govt depts are as corrupt as ever( in my dealings as well as friends) that tells you a lot.
Re: Pakistan's top judge is suspended
This is the quote you should be paying attention to. Not those of the human rights activists.
Yeah, yeah human rights mean a shyt to rr.
Re: Pakistan's top judge is suspended
The real reasons behind removal of CJ:
ڈیڑھ سال کے اس مختصر عرصے میں جسٹس چوہدری نے کئی اہم کیس نمٹائے جن میں سے کچھ حکومت اور اس کے سینیئر اہلکاروں کے لیے خفت کا باعث بنے، اور کچھ اب بھی مسلسل شرمندگی کا باعث بن رہے ہیں۔ ان میں سب سے بڑا مقدمہ کراچی سٹیل ملز کی نجکاری کے خلاف دائر کی گئی درخواست تھی۔ اس مقدمے کا فیصلہ اپنے خلاف ہونے کے بعد بھی حکومت اپنی معصومیت پر اصرار کرتی رہی ہے لیکن اسے نجکاری کا عمل روکنا پڑا۔
*نجی زمین پر ریٹائرڈ فوجیوں اور فوجی اداروں کے قبضے سے متعلق کئی مقدموں میں جسٹس افتخار چوہدری نے نہ صرف *
فوج کے خلاف فیصلے دیے بلکہ ناجائز قبضوں کو ادارتی تحفظ فراہم کرنے پر فوج کی سرزنش بھی کی۔
جبری گمشدگیوں ہی کے معاملے میں دیگر مقدمات بھی جسٹس افتخار چوہدری کی عدالت میں موجود ہیں جن میں انہوں نے خاصی دلچسپی ظاہر کی تھی اور بار بار اٹارنی جنرل کو ہدایت کی کہ وہ گمشدہ لوگوں کے بارے میں بتائیں۔ حکومت کی طرف سے کوئی مثبت جواب نہ ملنے پر انہوں نے بھری عدالت میں سرکاری وکیلوں کی سرزنش بھی کی۔ کل یعنی جمعرات کو ہونے والی عدالتی کارروائی میں اٹارنی جنرل حاضر نہیں ہوئے تھے جس پر جسٹس افتخار چوہدری نے مقدمے کو چھبیس مارچ تک ملتوی کرتے ہوئے وفاقی اور صوبائی حکومتوں کے نمائندوں کو طلب کیا تھا۔
جسٹس افتخار چوہدری سوؤ موٹو نوٹس لینے کے حوالے سے سب سے زیادہ جانے جاتے ہیں۔ انہوں نے کئی مواقع پر عام اور کمزور لوگوں پر ہونے والی زیادتی کا از خود نوٹس لیا اور فوری فیصلے کر کے کم از کم کسی حد تک ریلیف پہنچایا۔ اس حوالے سے سب سے زیادہ معروف کیس سن دو ہزار پانچ میں پتنگ بازی پر پابندی لگانے کا ہے۔ اس پابندی کے باوجود وزیر اعلیٰ پنجاب نے پچھلے ماہ اپنے اختیارات استعمال کرتے ہوئے بسنت کے موقعہ پر دو روز کے لیے یہ پابندی اٹھائی تو جسٹس افتخار چوہدری نے اپنے ریمارکس میں کہا کہ ’اس تہوار پر جو ہلاکتیں ہوں گی ان کی ذمہ داری بھی پنجاب حکومت کو لینا ہو گی۔‘ اس بسنت پر صرف لاہور میں آٹھ افراد ہلاک ہوئے۔
Re: Pakistan's top judge is suspended
fair enough. rules should be same for everyone.
had the PM and a few other victims filed libel suits in courts against the slanderers (like Aitzaz Ahsan did against Sheikh Rasheed?), we might have seen greater transparency from the press which monitors everyone except itself. i mean there should be greater transparency from a medium which can reach millions of people everyday. anyhow, i can understand why the govt./opposition or any other institution may at times find it impossible to prove anything against their slanderers in courts.
i cannot really comment on this particular program as i don't know what kind of wrong information was given, how many times this program was broadcast etc etc. moreover this decision may have nothing to do with what happened in islamabad.
nevertheless criticizing a decision made by a court is a differet matter. i personally think that people should be able to comment on or criticize the decisions made by the courts/judges in a civilized manner.
Can you imagine if Musharraf, Shaukat Aziz, government minsters, opposition leaders, former ministers, generals etc all filed libel suits against sections of the media for telling lies against them day in day out? Then in return the courts ruled that Geo, ARY, Dawn etc would have to broadcast/print apologies for days on end? Not only would the media spend all it's time apologizing instead of reporting the news, but the President, PM, govt, opposition, military etc would be accused of trying to silence or attack the free media!
You must know that everytime a law to regulate the conduct of the media has been proposed/passed by the govt it has been accused of wanting to curtail the freedom of the media? So why should some of our superior judges be averse to such criticisms? when the CJSC summons newspaper editors to his offices, cajoles other judges to defend his coruupt son, and other HC judges are ruling that a private tv channel should practically flagellate themselves for days on end by apologizing for undermining the dignity of the courts.
Re: Pakistan's top judge is suspended
SillyBilly, can you tell what lies has media been telling about Musharraf and government. ?
All i see is talk shows on GEO/ARY/AAJ where, people from both opposition and government ministers are present. Gov ministers get a chance to defend the government, but they get ridiculed every time.
I also feel pity for these gov ministers coz they do not even themselves know anything wht boss is doing and they have to concoct to defend him.
Re: Pakistan’s top judge is suspended
Oh yes, that steel mill in Saudi escape your attention. I wonder how many industries your hero had founded from government money, taxpayers money. Whatever, this is how much tax he contributed from his industries.
“Moreover, with less than 1% of Pakistan’s 140 million people paying income tax - Sharif himself paid none last year and just $10 the year before - the government is chronically short of revenue.”
$10 in tax, what a generous guy!
It’s one mansion, not a house, affordable on her salary?
She has Swiss Bank Accounts, and many more houses. Have you not even heard of Mr 10%?
If we dont know it, then we’re assuming. If we know it, then it’s a fact genius.
And that is why this is a good move. Any form of corruption in this case what appears to be of the chief justice, is moved against.
Re: Pakistan's top judge is suspended
Do you remember when newspapers claimed that Shaukat Aziz's wife was a powerful Jewish-American called "Gloria Cohen Aziz"? That is just one example. You must be living in a fools paradise if you think lies are not told by the media against Musharraf, Aziz, the govt, military etc every day. It's just they are not as sensitive to criticsim as some of judicial lords.
What would you think if Musharraf, Aziz or BB, Nawaz before them summoned newspaper editors to their offices to warn them to lay clear of stories about their families? This is what the CJSC is alleged to have done. What would you think if the state machinery as a whole had to come out and defend Bilal Musharraf or Rukshana Aziz (the real Pakistani wife of the PM) or a Generals family? That is what this CJSC got the Supreme Court to do for his son. Pretty serious allegations that he has to answer, and disprove if not true.
Re: Pakistan's top judge is suspended
What would you think if Musharraf, Aziz or BB, Nawaz before them summoned newspaper editors to their offices to warn them to lay clear of stories about their families? This is what the CJSC is alleged to have done. What would you think if the state machinery as a whole had to come out and defend Bilal Musharraf or Rukshana Aziz (the real Pakistani wife of the PM) or a Generals family? That is what this CJSC got the Supreme Court to do for his son. Pretty serious allegations that he has to answer, and disprove if not true.
This is a good question. I can guarantee you not one of them would answer it, or at least answer it honestly. They would express outrage and call for him to be thrown out of power and exiled or jailed. Yet in the case of the Chief Justice, they question the motives, simply because it's the president (who is constitutionally allowed to remove the chief justice) that is doing the cleaning up.
Re: Pakistan's top judge is suspended
Do you remember when newspapers claimed that Shaukat Aziz's wife was a powerful Jewish-American called "Gloria Cohen Aziz"? That is just one example. You must be living in a fools paradise if you think lies are not told by the media against Musharraf, Aziz, the govt, military etc every day. It's just they are not as sensitive to criticsim as some of judicial lords.
What would you think if Musharraf, Aziz or BB, Nawaz before them summoned newspaper editors to their offices to warn them to lay clear of stories about their families? This is what the CJSC is alleged to have done. What would you think if the state machinery as a whole had to come out and defend Bilal Musharraf or Rukshana Aziz (the real Pakistani wife of the PM) or a Generals family? That is what this CJSC got the Supreme Court to do for his son. Pretty serious allegations that he has to answer, and disprove if not true.
As far as i can remember, the allegations of being married to gloria cohen aziz were made against him by some people, i do not recall any newspaper carrying a "story" that aziz is married to gloria cohen.
Does'nt the state machinery come out and defend Musharraf and Aziz day in and day out. What does ptv do? Haven't the government withdrawn ads to a leading newspaper for running stories that go against government?
If this was about corruption in udiciary i would have been happy, but this is certainly not the case.
And if purpose of Musharraf and aziz was to bring Iftikharto justice then this case should be heard in full in supreme judicial council.
But let me tell you what will happen (as always happen in Pak), CJ will resign, the reference against him will not be heard and Javaid Iqbal the docile man will replace Iftikhar. We will no longer see CJ taking sou moto notices.
Re: Pakistan's top judge is suspended
[QUOTE]
What would you think if Musharraf, Aziz or BB, Nawaz before them summoned newspaper editors to their offices to warn them to lay clear of stories about their families?
[/QUOTE]
Doesn't it happen?
Excerpt from letter written by international federation of journalists to Musharraf,
*As an example of this culture of intimidation, we understand that earlier this month, Mr. Aamir Meer, journalist from the monthly *Herald of the Dawn Group in Lahore, had his car set ablaze by unidentified people, while it was parked outside his residence. Mr. Meer later received a message allegedly from the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) claiming responsibility for the car and warning of further action.
We understand that in a reception for newspaper editors on 20 November 2003, you condemned the Herald for being “anti-military” and “working against the national interest.” We further understand that you argued that the time had come for the Herald and Mr. Meer to be “dealt with.”
**
Re: Pakistan’s top judge is suspended
And the Myth of free press in Pakistan:
Pakistan ranks 157th in he world.
Re: Pakistan’s top judge is suspended
Dawn advertisement ban challenged](http://www.dawn.com/2007/03/07/top3.htm)
By Shujaat Ali Khan
KARACHI, March 6: The Pakistan Herald Publications Limited has challenged in the Sindh High Court the withholding of advertisements by the federal government from Dawn.
A writ petition moved by the publisher through Advocate Muneer A. Malik says that Dawn is a ‘Metropolitan A’ newspaper falling within the highest circulation bracket. The circulation figures are verifiable by the government’s own Audit Bureau of Circulation.
The daily is widely read for the quality and objectivity of its news coverage, comments and features. It is not aligned to any political party, which is one reason why the public looks up to it for credible news and objective analysis.
Its editorial team operates independently of its management and ownership. A newspaper, however, is a product sold below the cost of its production and makes up for the loss through revenues earned from advertisements.
The federal government, says the petition, is a major source of advertisements, usually public notices and awareness campaigns placed by the federal ministries and divisions and institutions working under the government.
Publication of such advertisements is mandated by law and they are distributed among newspapers on the basis of rational criteria including circulation, readership, language and the target population. In conformity with the criteria, the release of advertisements to Dawn remained normal till November 2006.
** Following publication of news reports dealing with the situation in Balochistan, however, several influential functionaries of the respondent government warned the petitioner publishing concern that all advertisements to Dawn would be ‘stopped’.**
** In the latter part of December 2006, the flow of advertisements was actually curtailed by the respondent government. To mask the policy of punishing the petitioner though, advertisements were placed occasionally. In fact, a partial ban on advertisements to Dawn was imposed in violation of the fundamental right of freedom of Press guaranteed by Article 19 of the Constitution.**
Instructions were conveyed to various departments that adverts specifically intended for Dawn by the originator be diverted to other newspapers. (Copies of cancellation of orders by advertising agencies ‘due to ban on release of advertisements to Dawn by the Press Information Department’, including a January 10 Orient Advertising letter cancelling a PSO advertisement, have been annexed to the petition).
The petition says the government being repository of public power is required to act justly and fairly while releasing advertisements to the print media. It cannot act on its whims and prejudices and in an arbitrary manner. No reason has been communicated to the petitioner for the sudden fall in the number of government advertisements published by the daily for decades.
Placement of advertisements is not a largesse the government can bestow on whomsoever it desires for whatever reason. It is a sovereign function to be discharged in accordance with a rational policy and without any discrimination. The withholding of advertisements will compel the petitioner to raise the price of the newspaper and risk a decline in circulation.
It has already deprived the Dawn readers of valuable information in respect of job vacancies, tenders and bids, etc.
The government action, the petition states, is repugnant not only to Article 19 but also to Article 25, which bars discrimination. It prays to the court to declare the action illegal and unconstitutional and direct the government to release advertisements to the newspaper in accordance with the established policy and practice.
Re: Pakistan's top judge is suspended
^ interesting.
when i said 'commenting on a court decision is a different matter', i meant that it's different from slander or dissemination of inaccurate/libellous information. i didn't mean that judges should be given special treatment in this regard.
i still believe that, wherever possible, more people should come forward and use courts to file libel suits if they feel they have been wrongfully maligned. this may lead to a few apologies (or counter libel suits) in the beginning, but eventually it will lead to more responsible reporting.
PS- I'm not supporting anything which constitutes 'intimidation' by the judges.
Re: Pakistan’s top judge is suspended
Only a person like you could believe Pakistan’s press freedom ranks on the same level as a fascist nut like Karimov’s state controlled Uzbekistan.
If reporters sans frontiers says it’s true, it must be true I guess. It’s enlightening to have your wisdom here.
Pakistan media is constantly criticizing the Pakistan government and Musharraf. That is the hallmark of press freedom, not “reporters sans frontiers” 
From your own favourite Herald paper.
***Off Centre ***
***By Zaffar Abbas ***
General Pervez Musharraf’s flirtations with democracy don’t seem to be taking us anywhere. This has been the view of many since 2002 when a parliament was elected. The country was still under military rule and the newly elected forum was used to endorse the military ruler and the constitutional changes he had introduced. But last month brought further endorsement of this view, as the National Assembly played host to one bizarre episode after another.
*Witnessing them all from the press gallery, someone such as myself is now convinced that Musharraf’s “tailored” democracy to “suit the Pakistani environment” has only bequeathed chaos and anarchy to the country’s political system. *
DOES THIS MEDIA SOUND LIKE IT’S NOT FREE TO YOU?
Re: Pakistan's top judge is suspended
Btw, I think your press index is referring to freedom of press to print blasphemous materials like the Danish cartoons. There's no way Pakistan media is state controlled/pro government as you're trying to make out.
Re: Pakistan's top judge is suspended
[quote]
Pakistan media is constantly criticizing the Pakistan government and Musharraf. That is the hallmark of press freedom, not "reporters sans frontiers" :D
[/quote]
it's true that pak media is quite generous with its criticism of musharraf govt. i admit that. is this criticism well-deserved? i don't know. it's for people to decide. :D
Re: Pakistan’s top judge is suspended
Okay if reporters sans frontier is not reliable then look at international press institute:
http://www.freemedia.at/cms/ipi/freedom_detail.html?country=/KW0001/KW0005/KW0128/
2005 World Press Freedom Review
[size=2]While journalists working in Pakistan have never been able to carry out their profession free of harassment and other dangers, the situation has worsened over the past year.
President Pervez Musharraf’s anti-terrorist policy has been used to justify attacks, even physical ones, against journalists and restrictions on their right to free expression. Throughout the year, anti-terror laws were misused to imprison journalists critical of the government. In addition, radio and television stations were banned, printing presses, while newspaper offices were raided by police. Responding to criticism, Musharraf said the violations were essential to the fight against international terrorism.
[/size]
Re: Pakistan’s top judge is suspended
Well derserved it not. The Pakistani media is free from the government. That much is known to be true by the amount of government bashing the press in Pakistan is allowed to get away with. only an idiot would read into a report that Pakistan’s press freedom ranks the same as Uzbekistan on the basis of it being governmentally controlled.
Re: Pakistan’s top judge is suspended
Are you stupid…, or do you have a …problem? Can you not read how much the Pakistani press can freely get away with criticizing and accusing the government of? EVERYONE here can see this. Why cant you?