No one can be stopped from speaking: IHC

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Wednesday dismissed a petition seeking ban on broadcasting of speeches of JUI-F’s Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on TV channels and termed the plea non-maintainable.

IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah, hearing the case, remarked that controversial remarks were even used against judges on social media. He said that no one could be stopped from speaking.

“Why this court should stop anyone, how such words affect someone?” he asked the petitioner. The chief justice further remarked that there should be freedom of expression in the country for people. This was a global world and an era of social media, he added.

“One should have demonstrated positive role in society, so no one could criticise him,” he said. Petitioner Shahjahan Advocate pleaded that speeches of Maulana Fazlur Rehman should be banned as he had been maligning the state institutions. He also prayed the court to ban the JUIF’s activities in Pakistan. After listening to arguments, the court rejected the petition declaring it as non-maintainable.