The renowned journalists sat down to discuss the recent Supreme Court judgement in the Faizabad sit-in case. The show began with Matiullah Jan reading out the complete verdict.
Read SC’s full verdict here: SC Verdict Blames Media For Being Complicit In Promoting TLP Dharna
Media Ignored The Verdict
Journalist Matiullah Jan said that media, that would otherwise talk about other SC cases 24/7, did not talk about the Supreme Court’s verdict enough.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Q6ILT0RUgA
Muhammad Ziauddin said that the reason behind media not talking about the verdict was already mentioned in the judgment itself and that is self-censorship. He said that owners of media houses were getting orders to censor themselves.
“Who stopped Dawn’s circulation? If that is answered, all other questions will be answered too,” he said.
On a 2-Member and Implementation Bench
When asked if number of judges in the SC bench made any difference, Matiullah Jan said that it did not. A verdict announced by a 2-judge bench is a verdict of the Supreme Court itself, he said.
He said that the implementation bench was probably not constituted because Justice Qazi Faiz Isa does not believe in it and also that it was the responsibility of the government.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8604_tFBgo
Asmatullah Niazi said that an implementation bench should have been constituted to ensure that the verdict is implemented and those responsible for violence and chaos during the violent protests of the TLP are brought to book.
Parliament Must Determine The Mandate Of Intelligence Agencies
Senior Geo News reporter Abdul Qayyum Siddiqui said that the Parliament needs to determine the mandate of Intelligence agencies.
He said that the Supreme Court had asked the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to present its mandate in writing, before the SC, which was produced in a sealed envelope. The ISI was asked about the laws governing the agency and its mandate and there was no response, he said.
Then, Qayyum added, the SC presented laws and regulations governing world’s top intelligence agencies including MI5 and CIA. “This verdict has such power that it can bring about legislation to this end”.
Army’s Intervention During Dharnas ‘To Avoid Violence’ Was ‘Unconstitutional’
Muhammad Ziauddin said that during Tehreek-e-Labbaik (TLP)’s sit-ins, government was ready to take action against the protesters to disperse them but the armed forces ‘advised’ the government not to do so as it would lead to violence.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zqL3HF2cgc
Army advising the government over the matter, Ziauddin added, was unconstitutional. “The army underwrote the situation. A bunch of people came out to protest and the army advised government to make settlement with them. The army underwrote it.”
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