Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Aamer Farooq has ordered the parties involved in the petition to establish a judicial commission on the murder of journalist Arshad Sharif and asked for six years of data regarding other journalists from PEMRA. During the hearing of a petition filed by senior journalist Hamid Mir and advocate Azhar Siddique, Chief Justice Aamer Farooq questioned why the federal government was not forming the commission.
Judicial Commission Formation
Chief Justice Aamer Farooq asked the government lawyers about their hesitance, asking. “What harm would it cause to form the commission?” He reminded them that it is the government’s responsibility, not the court’s, to form a commission under the Inquiry and Commission Act. The Additional Attorney General informed him that the Supreme Court had received the case but sent it back for a larger bench’s decision. He argued that the High Court should wait to hear the case since the matter is pending.
Public Interest and Government Reluctance
Chief Justice Aamer Farooq responded that the case was not criminal but one of public interest and expressed confusion over the government’s reluctance to form the commission. He remarked, “This should be to your credit.” Criticizing the Joint Investigation Team’s (JIT) performance, he mentioned that their efforts were insufficient, describing them as an “optical illusion.” He also noted that when questioned, the JIT had done little. The Chief Justice mentioned that he had asked the Attorney General to appear, but it was unclear why he was avoiding it.
Journalists’ Safety and Government Accountability
Hamid Mir emphasized the urgency of the matter by stating that seven journalists had been killed this year as of the last hearing. And now the number has risen to eight. The Additional Attorney General claimed that the government had no record of other journalists’ murders. Chief Justice Aamer Farooq expressed his disappointment with the government’s response: “Regrettably, we are responding like this about human lives. You have completely ignored it.”
Future Proceedings
The Chief Justice directed that the Attorney General be present for future proceedings. The hearing has been adjourned until the last week of August.
