Finally, Ansar Abbasi summoned in a court of law.

Finally, the notorious yellow journalist Ansar Abbasi summoned in a court of law.


News against judge: LHC admits contempt plea for regular hearing

Staff Report

LAHORE: Justice Mian Najamuz Zaman of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday admitted for regular hearing a petition seeking contempt proceedings against a reporter and chief editor of an English daily for maligning a high court judge.

The judge issued notices to all the respondents and referred the matter to Chief Justice Sayed Zahid Hussain to constitute a larger bench to hear the petition.

The judge also restrained the print and electronic media from publishing and airing news or comments about judges of the superior courts. Barrister Zafarullah Khan filed the contempt petition under Article 204 of the Constitution. The petitioner said he felt aggrieved about a news item against one of the senior judges of the LHC by reporter Ansar Abbasi that appeared in a section of the newspaper on February 10 last. He said that in the news item, an implied reference had been made of his (judge) present working at Bahawalpur bench, which amounted to identifying him by name. Lawyers present in the courtroom also advanced their arguments along with the petitioner. (Daily Times)



Report on BBC Urdu dot com

http://www.bbc.co.uk/urdu/pakistan/story/2009/02/090213_lahore_hc_contempt.shtml

Read related news report and analysis:

Investigative journalist or police tout? From Nanno Goraya to Ansar Abbasi

http://letusbuildpakistan.blogspot.com/2009/02/ansar-abbasi-lhc-judge-accused-of-close.html

Taseer asks CM to act against police official for maligning judge

Daily Times Monitor - 16 Feb 2009

LAHORE: Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer has said it is inappropriate for a police officer to target a member of the higher judiciary and asked Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to take notice of the police official’s action, a private TV channel reported on Sunday.

In a letter to the Punjab chief minister, Taseer said the role of the official in maligning an institution like the judiciary could not be ignored, the channel said.

He said it would become a challenge for the entire society if police officials were given such authority, it added.