The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has expressed disappointment at the Islamabad High Court (IHC)'s decision to frame charges against journalists for covering a case pertaining to the former chief judge of Gilgit-Baltistan, Rana Shamim, local media reported on Saturday.
On December 28, last year, the IHC chief justice ordered to frame charges against main contemnor besides the three media persons -Jang Group's Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, The News Editor Aamir Ghauri and Editor Investigations Ansar Abbasi-- for reporting the affidavit which former top Gilgit-Baltistan judge recorded to accuse former chief justice of Pakistan of allegedly "colluding" to deny bail to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz Sharif before the 2018 general elections, The News International reported.
Citing HRCP statement, the media outlet reported: "It is in as much in the public interest to protect the Press Freedom and allow journalists to fulfill their responsibility of holding those in power to account, as it is to ensure that the judiciary remains unencumbered by the external pressure.
Expressing solidarity with the journalists Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT) also called on the IHC to drop contempt proceedings against them for publishing a verified story.
In a statement, PILDAT said it believes that to protect freedom of media in Pakistan, no journalist should be penalized by the honourable courts for reporting on a news story.
Earlier, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has called for the annulment of the Islamabad High Court judicial inquiry for contempt proceedings against two journalists for having published the affidavit of a former judge highlighting a suspect influencing peddling case.
The Paris-based NGO RSF said that the proceeding against two journalists from the daily The News International as well as its owner violates the fundamental principles of the rule of law in Pakistan, reported The News International.
Pakistan occupies 145th place out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index published in 2021 by RSF.
( With inputs from ANI )
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