Federation vs Ansar Abbasi case: IHC takes notice of wrong reporting

ISLAMABAD: The Registrar, Islamabad High Court, while taking notice of misreporting by the some media outlets in the Federation vs Ansar Abbasi case, has issued a clarification on wrongly reporting the court proceedings and advised the beat reporters to report the proceedings fairly and accurately.

Without naming any news organisation, the Registrar IHC issued a clarification on December 15, which says, “It has come to the notice of competent authority that some section of the press are wrongly reporting the court proceedings of Islamabad High Court in print and electronic media.

“Therefore, the competent authority has been pleased to advise that all the beat reporters are required to check the facts and avoid misreporting and always report the court proceedings fairly and accurately.

The beat reporters should follow the prescribed standards of the professional ethics and code of conduct of journalists,” the statement says.

After the erroneous reporting by the media outlets and misquoting Chief Justice Islamabad High Court, the registrar's office of IHC summoned the office-bearers of Islamabad High Court Reporters Association and asked about the wrong reporting.

The reporters association assured the competent authority that they have reported accurately and if a private TV channel has aired any incorrect report, then the competent authority should take appropriate action against those who misreported.

Earlier, President Islamabad High Court Journalists Association Saqib Bashir on his social networking website tweeted with a screenshot of ARY's false reporting and said: "In Rana Shamim’s contempt of court case, some remarks about senior journalist Ansar Abbasi were attributed to the Chief Justice Islamabad High Court, which were never said at all.

Even the honorable court has not doubted his credibility. In a contempt of court case, this kind of reporting does not make any sense.”

After the IHC statement, senior journalist Asad Malik tweeted, "Instead of pointing out the mistakes in ARY’s erroneous reporting and issuing a warning, the registrar of Islamabad High Court has blamed all the beat reporters. He had written a note after reading a news story about an affidavit, after which a contempt of court proceedings was initiated against the Jang Group.”

Many other beat reporters who are covering the IHC have also highlighted the misreporting. Journalist Waseem Abbasi on his social networking website twitter posted a screenshot of ARY News and said, “Isn’t it a contempt of court by ARY if it has aired it. I was present in the court.

The Chief Justice did not say this at all while attributing Ansar Abbasi’s news story. He instead said it in a different context that lies are being turned into truth and truth is presented as a lie through narrative building.”