LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Tuesday criticised the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority’s rules regarding the online circulation of interviews with under-custody accused persons, calling them a mockery of legal safeguards.
Justice Ali Zia Bajwa, while hearing contempt petitions against police officials and media personnel for sharing such videos, ordered the PTA to submit a report by May 13 detailing its powers to remove such content from digital platforms. The court closed the contempt proceedings following the formation of a committee by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to examine the issue.
Justice Bajwa reminded anchorpersons to exercise caution and reaffirmed the LHC’s December 2023 order banning interviews and recordings of accused persons in custody before completion of legal proceedings. During the hearing, Punjab Police submitted its social media policy signed by the inspector general.
The judge reiterated that exposing accused individuals to the media while in custody violates their rights and must not be permitted.
