IHC issues contempt of court notices to Geo News CEO Mir Ibrahim, three others

JournalismPakistan.com | Published: 20 February 2018

The Islamabad High Court has taken action against Geo News for violating court orders regarding Valentine's Day promotion. CEO Mir Ibrahim and three others are facing contempt charges and must appear in court.
Summary

ISLAMABAD – The Islamabad High Court on Tuesday issued contempt of court notices to CEO of Geo News Mir Ibrahim (pictured), program host Ayesha Baksh and two others.

The court order said that Geo TV in its program Report Card aired on February 14 violated the court’s directive that Valentine’s Day not be promoted in any way.

Analysts Hassan Nisar and Imtiaz Alam, who appeared as guests on the show, were the others to be issued contempt notices.

“One part of the program relating to order passed by this Court against the promotion of valentine’s day was not only ridicule, disrespected, but was discussed in a very derogatory manner.”

The court noted that Hassan Nisar and Imtiaz Alam paid no heed to the “restrictions imposed by the Article 19 of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973 i.e. freedom of speech, etc. crossed all limits of decency and morality.”

The order said that the act of the program host and the participants aimed to undermine the authority of the court and to disrespect its order. This “clearly comes within the definition of contempt of Court.”

All the four individuals have been asked to appear before the IHC in person to explain why contempt of court proceedings not be initiated against them and why regulator PEMRA not be directed to cancel Geo TV license.

The IHC also issued notice to PEMRA to make arrangements to show the program in the court on February 27.

Photo courtesy: http://www.babson.edu

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