Supreme Court judge Justice Qazi Faez Isa, during a hearing, lamented that media is not free in Pakistan. “Tell me, is media free in Pakistan?," the judge asked Attorney-General Khalid Javed Khan.
The attorney general in response asked for options other than yes and no to which the judge asked media persons present in the room to raise their hands if they think media is free in Pakistan. No one raised hand. The judge then questioned whether there is freedom of press in the country, and no reporter said there is.
Further, Justice Isa said that the country was being destroyed in a systematic manner. Talking about how local government elections, he said the polls are a constitutional requirement but when it comes to polling the provinces start complaining about all instead of “fulfilling their constitutional duties”.
"Local governments were dissolved in the martial law era, but it is unheard of in a democracy,” Justice Isa said.
He further went on to say that Punjab had killed democracy by dissolving the current government before its time had run out. He also said that it seems Punjab wants to do away with local government entirely.
“If democracy is lost, half the country will be gone,” the judge remarked.
The attorney general in response asked for options other than yes and no to which the judge asked media persons present in the room to raise their hands if they think media is free in Pakistan. No one raised hand. The judge then questioned whether there is freedom of press in the country, and no reporter said there is.
Further, Justice Isa said that the country was being destroyed in a systematic manner. Talking about how local government elections, he said the polls are a constitutional requirement but when it comes to polling the provinces start complaining about all instead of “fulfilling their constitutional duties”.
"Local governments were dissolved in the martial law era, but it is unheard of in a democracy,” Justice Isa said.
He further went on to say that Punjab had killed democracy by dissolving the current government before its time had run out. He also said that it seems Punjab wants to do away with local government entirely.
“If democracy is lost, half the country will be gone,” the judge remarked.