PHC upholds ban on interviews of under trial accused

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Saturday upheld the ban on the interviews of the accused in police custody through a notification of the provincial government.

A bench comprising Justice Wiqar Ahmad and Justice Fazal Subhan heard the petition of Zia-ur-Rahman Tajik Advocate field through his lawyer Jabir Khan Advocate.

He contended in the petition that YouTubers recorded the interviews of the accused, who were in police custody, and shared the content on social media platforms, which was a violation of the Article 14 of the Constitution. He said that this act by the YouTubers not only damaged the reputation of the accused but also affected the fair trial.

Zia-ur-Rahman Tajik Advocate told the bench that it was a violation of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority Ordinance. He requested the court to ban the recording of the interviews of the under trial accused by the YouTubers. A representative of the provincial government also told the court that the provincial government had issued a notification banning such interviews.