ISLAMABAD – Supreme Court of Pakistan dismissed orders passed by theIslamabad High Court (IHC) Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui within hours.
IHC ordered to seal the offices of three media houses in Islamabad onMonday, the Supreme Court (SC) intervened and suspended the call.
IHC judge Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui, during the same day, had orderedthe Capital Development Authority (CDA) to seal the offices of Bol TV, ARYNews and Capital TV for violating the regulations on the nonconforming useof residential buildings if the channels failed to vacate the premiseswithin two hours.
The offices were later sealed after the news organisations failed to complywith the high court’s order.
Hours later, Bol TV and ARY News filed a petition before the apex court,claiming that the IHC had issued the order “without listening” to the mediahouses. The counsels of the channels further argued that the sealing of theoffices had led to disruption in transmission.
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Taking notice of the petition, the top court ordered the CDA to de-seal theoffices and summoned the record of IHC’s proceedings of the case. The topcourt also ordered the CDA chairman to appear before a three-member SCbench on Tuesday. The bench will be headed by Chief Justice Mian SaqibNisar.
Meanwhile, the SC ordered Bol TV and ARY News not to park vehicles in theresidential areas where their offices are located so that residents are notdisturbed.
