Karachi: A petition has been filed in the Sindh High Court seeking court injunction against the broadcasting or re-broadcasting of any programme on the killing of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Ladin without any credible and conclusive evidence.
He submitted that foreign media have been ridiculing the security agencies and sovereignty of the country after the killing of Osama bin Laden. He submitted that the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority is bound to prohibit broadcasting or re-broadcasting if the contents of foreign broadcasting service happen to be biased.
He prayed to the court to direct the federal government to issue directives to Chairman Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority for not allowing broadcasting or re-broadcasting of fake drama staged in Pakistan by the US security agencies regarding the killing of Al-Qaeda leader during a raid in Abbotabad, as US government failed to produce any credible and convincing evidence to prove the death of Osama bin Laden.
Petitioner Sohail Hameed advocate submitted that the US government had claimed that its security forces killed Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Ladin in Abbotabad and his body was dropped into the sea. He submitted that Osama’s family members, including women and children, were said to be detained but they were not produced before the media.
He submitted that the burden of proof was on US security agencies that “they have killed Osama bin Laden during the raid and the same could only be shifted by them when considered fairly and impartiality-induced belief that Osama was killed”. He submitted that the evidence of killing Osama during the raid should be of great weight or more convincing but only hearsay evidence was relied upon, which was no evidence of the killing of Osama during the raid of US security forces.
SHC hears petition on local bodies’ polls: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday directed the provincial law officer to submit comments on a petition over non-holding of local bodies’ election and continuous appointment of administrators.
Dr Raheela Magsi assailed the second and fifth amendments in the Sindh Local Government Ordinance (SLGO), submitting that such amendments were ultra vires to Article 140-A and 32 of the Constitution.
She submitted that people were deprived of their right to form local government due to the prolonged delay in holding of local government elections. She prayed to the court to direct the Election Commission to hold local government elections and remove administrators who were working against the constitutional mandate.
The additional advocate-general sought further time to file comments on the petition. The SHC’s division bench, headed by Chief Justice Mushir Alam, observed that legal controversy was involved in the matter and in case comments were not filed by the respondents within two weeks the petitioner may proceed with the that case on basis of available record.
Teachers’ salaries case: The Sindh High Court summoned the Secretary, Education, the DCO and the EDO, Thatta on a petition against non-implementation of court orders.
The court was hearing the petition of Ghulam Mustafa and 189 others who sought implementation of court order regarding issuance of their salaries. The petitioners submitted that they were appointed teachers, feeders under Sindh Development Social Service Programme but had been denied salaries since June 2009. Their counsel submitted that the SHC on May 31 last year directed the education department to determine the case of each petitioner in a transparent manner but the same was not being implemented.
The Additional Advocate-General (AA-G) filed the report signed by the Deputy-Secretary, Education, which itself stated that the order of the court had not been complied with. The AA-G said that he wrote letter to concerned departments but that he had not been provided with any concrete material proving compliance of the court order.
The SHC’s division, bench headed by Justice Gulzar Ahmed, directed the Secretary, Education, the DCO, and the EDO, Thatta, to appear and explain as to why compliance of court order was not made. The court observed that in case no satisfactory answer is given the court will take action against the delinquent officers. The hearing of the case has been adjourned till May 25.
Source: The News
Date:5/5/2011
