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May 15, 2008
A Sad Joke
Author: Gul Bukhari
Despite all resolutions to not let events in Pakistan boggle the mind anymore (anything is possible), the mind is boggled yet again by the latest events that transpired in this country on the morning of 12 May 2008. In the fracas, Absar Alam, Bureau Chief of Geo News was summoned by the Supreme Court of Pakistan and asked to apologize for a news ticker broadcasting a meeting between Justice Nawaz Abbasi, a judge of the Supreme Court, and the Secretary Interior.
What ensued was surely, not just a First Ever, but hopefully also the Last Ever event of it’s kind to happen in Pakistan. The first shocking revelation was that Justice Nawaz Abbasi was on the three judge bench of the Supreme Court endeavoring to hear/try the proceedings of this Suo Moto Notice (involving his own complaint). Mr. Alam had to address Justice Abbasi directly to remind the honorable gentleman that he was not qualified to hear the case since he was a party in the case.
Embarrassingly, it doesn’t end here: Mr. Alam refused to apologize to the judge and asked for time to hire a lawyer to represent him. The journalist further proceeded to tell the supreme court judge that he, and the media in general, were doing the most important duty as citizens by protecting, safeguarding and upholding the constitution, by ensuring no one desecrates article 19 of the constitution (which essentially safeguards freedom of speech)!
In a fit of fury, Justice Abbasi wrote out an order banning any programs, mention, clips or coverage of the judiciary by the print and electronic media in toto. At which stage even the counsel from the state advised him to review and rescind his order, as it was very likely to be violated. The Justice in question had, using a ticker announcement, in effect issued a broad based gagging order on all forms of information and news coverage with regard to the judiciary issue. On the 12th of May.
But the best (and the saddest) part is that the Supreme Court of Pakistan backed down in front of journalists - and rescinded the order it had issued within minutes of doing so! Why did that happen? In this regard it is intriguing to note that the court (i.e., Justice Abbasi) was told by the government counsel and the Attorney General, that such an order would be violated, and that the court would be powerless as to do anything about the violation as there was no Contempt of Court law in Pakistan. This was the point where any sympathetic observer would not know whether to laugh or to cry, or to do both in turn repeatedly. Imagine, a judge of the supreme court of your country, trying to gag/ bully a citizen based on non existent laws! There is no other explanation for this bizarre occurrence except that either the judge does not know the law, or knows it but thinks he can ride rough shod over citizens relying either on the ignorance or fear factor on their part. I am not sure which scenario is the sadder for my country.
The end result is that the Court has been brought to a level where the common citizen can talk back to the superior judiciary and tell it whether it is qualified to hear a case or not. The common citizen can accuse it of desecrating the constitution, and defend himself by championing himself as the protector of the constitution - and not without just cause, may I add. Correct, we are all bound, as citizens of Pakistan, to protect, uphold and defend the constitution of Pakistan, but the common citizens are bound by the Constitution itself only. The ‘Justices’ however, took an additional oath, in line with the sanctity of their jobs, to ensure the same. Yet, it is the common citizen, who is being seen to do this duty, and not the sitting Justices of the day.
Later, outside the court, an unprecedented sight unfolded: a bench of the supreme court being tried in the people’s court, live on television, on the street and under the sun, with journalists inviting the Supreme Court Justice to a talk show to present his viewpoint, since according to them he behaved more like a media personality than a judge of the highest court of the country! In the same live transmission, the respondent’s supporters openly questioned whether someone whose status and legality as a judge are under question at the moment, can actually summon any citizen to court over any matter!
Alas! It seems the most poignant shortage in Pakistan is not that of flour, sugar or electricity, but that of self respect in the supposedly most respected and elevated of personages.
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The title is so true, really a sad joke!
what else do u expect from a PCOed jud@e
this abbassi is the one with ‘beaked’ nose? who was hurled abuse on daily basis by ordinary citizens when jud@es were arrested?
he went to see Justice Ramday ……who simply refused to see abbassi and passed a message through his servant that Mr Ramday is not available!
PCO jud@e - 10 for 1Rs…………Real Judge: cant buy one for hundreds of billions!
What ever Absar Alam did , is needed to be done by all other sections of the society!
We need to support the media 100 percent on their stance….
Mulla!
As I read the article, I was dreading that Absar Alam probably ended up apologizing but ………….. he did nt !!!!
BRAVO ABSAR ALAM … country needs a few more of you…
moodykhan
Trust me the “real” judges are not any better then judges on the bench right now.
Well, for all those who have sneered with contempt and said “In Pakistan, every citizen is a constitutional expert!” let me offer you “In Pakistan, every citizen knows more about the constitutional than the PCO judges.” BRAVO ABSAR ALAM, indeed!
[...] Source: PK Politics [...]
Only the people of Pakistan, like this brave journalist, are left to wage the struggle at this point. Parties are out. People are in.
Want to see another sad joke? Watch today’s Live with Talat and see some PPP guy 69-ing Wattoo.
I think the reasoning used by the govt counsel may have ulterior motives. I think such an order can be challenged on the basis that it is in violation of the constitution’s article 19. But for him to say it couldn’t be enforeced ‘because there is no contempt of court law in Pakistan” is sinister.
This is because this supreme court is guilty of the very same offense, which they committed when they disregarded the 7 member bench decision of the REAL supreme Court of Pakistan on Nov 3rd ; the decision which banned all judeges and govt servants from following any orders under the ILLEGAL and UNCONSTITUTIONAL “PCO” (the make believe sh#t that moshe and haramzadah pulled out of their a$$es!.
So, I wonder if they will use this as “precdent” if/when a charge sheet is brought against them accusing all the wretched PCO judges, first and foremost, of contempt of the Supreme Court of Pakistan ??
Both sides of the argument are true.
1- We have a prevalent “tehka and yercology” culture, which is not limited to army, police, politicians and courts.
2- Despite of having a few outstanding legal minds, Pakistani legal profession in general is infested with incompetent munshi lawyers. The judges are usually harvested from this group of people. BA LLB (we know the acronym)
@dmin
” In the same live transmission, the respondent’s supporters openly questioned whether someone whose status and legality as a judge are under question at the moment, can actually summon any citizen to court over any matter! ”
sire, is there a link to this live coverage…anywhere?
@TK can you please send me your email address? I would like to contact you.
@tk
are you a lawyer..mate…?? brilliant observation!!!
@kafka8: nah bro.. just excessively paranoid
@pak.nukes: teekaysheekay@mailinator.com (don’t say anything you won’t say in a forum)
@pak.nukes:
if ur serious, send it to this email:
M8R-132084@mailinator.com
DO NOT USE THE OTHER ONE, I forgot the password for it
@TK
“So, I wonder if they will use this as “precedent” ”
You hit the nail on the head. Remember Qayyum was the one making this argument and THAT was really bothering me.
Now the paranoid in me is thinking this whole affair was staged. Was GEO one of the players? Probably!!!
@nota: I don’t think GEO was part of it, the paranoid in me says the news was planted in the media so that they would crow about it (they sent to both Aaj and GEo ) in an effort to “get the news out First!”
Then they call the media and do the dramay bazi..
or it could be that they are just freaking moron (which is also the case IMO).
I mean it is strange to hear “there was no Contempt of Court Law in Pakistan” after having heard of tons of notices against people for contempt over the years.
I thought our media was free in our constitutional of Pakistan.
I would like to give example of Musharaff as Oliver Cromwell.
He controlled the country for more than 30 years, as dictator, banned all entertainment for english citizens, religion reformation, and created his own Hung Parliament with only 50 people who executed Charles I.
When he died people were so frustrated they took his body of grave and hung in front of parliament and and throw things at him. No dictator can rule country forever.
Inshallah we will have glorious Revolution in Pakistan one day.
waiting for revolution…and hearing all talk about revolution
Ask this/these judge/s that; was he/they sleeping on 3rd November? When Gen. Pervez sent 60 Judges from different courts were sent to their homes. Where ws the respect of these Judges when the broke the law of Pakistan by taking PCO oath by solidating a dictator action.
Current judges are national criminals.
Plz donot even call them judges. They all are bunch of monkeys looking for some free Bannanas. I wish they get burnt alive along with their Master Mush and company.
Following is an e-mail that I sent to Absar Alam appreciating his stand. That is the least I could have done:
Dear Absar Sb.
Good day. I would like to congratulate you on the courageous stand that you took in front of Justice Nawaz Abbasi on the 12th of May. I think it is because of fearless media personalities like you that ordinary people feel so much enlightened these days. We would like to see more and more courageous people like yourself in the face of tyranny and dictatorships. This event also proved that characterless people like Justice Nawaz Abbasi, who have no moral grounds, simply concede when faced with someone with character and resolve.
Let me assure you that ordinary citizens like myself are all for freedom of media and judiciary, and democratic rule in this country. May Allah give us the courage to achieve these in the near future.
(Attached: A Rose Bouquet for you!)
@TK.
pak.politics@yahoo.com
Please mesg me here.
The subject article written by Gul Bukhari entitled as “A Sad Joke”, and in every sense it is very justified. For the past few years what ever is happening in our country, its very hard to decide which event should we call A Sad Joke, and there is none to blame for this other then ourselves. We as a nation has a very bad habit of forgetting, and to live in imagination. Now, we have forgotten everything what had happened in not so far past, but that will be another debate, sticking to the subject article I think that Absar Alam has done the right thing by refusing to apologize and we need people like him to come forward and to speak the truth and to at least to be honest with themselves, and to bring the real picture of the country to the people and to show them what is really going on. In the end I salute to him for his courage and pray for him to be strong to bear & tackle the expected hardships and consequences which God forbid he have to face in future, for telling the truth.
the present judges have no right to take SUO MOTO ACTION for ANSAR ABBASI, they are not even judges, they are dictators like mushi,,
anyway they did not remeber to take this suo moto action upon the unlawful DETENTION of all diposed judges , they were sleeping then and now when the point comes to thier own black relations with mushraff then they remember, OH, WHY NOT WE SHOULD TAKE A SUO MOTO TO SUPPORT OURSELF. this is opened BADMASHI.
absar alam or all media, MAY GOD BLESS YOU. many came before this cangroo courts and dictators like musharaff or many BEHOODA like zardari.,, no body could block media….. so even no mother has born yet a stupid child who can bann the MEDIA.
no body of the media should apologize for whatever he writes, this stupid cargroo corts of dogar, bcz they have no thier own value in nation, they are bullshit , worthless, reall cangroo courts and GADDAR of the time and nation……………
i salute , ABSAR ALAM, ANSAR ABBASI,, MUSHTAQ MINHAS,,HAMID MIR,and all those who say KALM-E-HAQQ before the zalim hukmrans. i advise all of u to show and write all what do u think is better for nation or pakistan..just kick away the all orders of STUPID reham malik, orders of stupid CANGROO COURTS, or BEHOODA zardari, ect..
all the nations is with u. nation loves u. DATT JAO IS BEHOODA jamhori kehlane walon ke khilaaf…. ta ke asli jamhooriat aa sake,,,,,,,,,
big and valuable salute to the media of the new testament.
[...] Pakistan Politics: Absar Alam, Bureau Chief of Geo News was summoned by the Supreme Court of Pakistan and asked to [...]
@ pco judges( present )
pco judges should send themselves to the jail for playing with the pakistan CONSTITUTION then they have right to summon the PRID OF PERFORMANCE MEDIA.,
media is a honourable and most powerful PILLER of the state, rest of the pillers are bullshit, behooda and BRA-E-NAAM.
i am wondered that all those who already voilated the constitution and law, they are crying or complainting for the voilating the HUMAN RIGHTS OR ,toheen-e-adalat. ect..
media zindabad , go ahead media, nation is with u ,
@ MEDIA,
please zardari ya ppp ki itni OQAT nahi he ke ap us ke lie press confrences kerte rahen,, ap ne zardari ki press confresses atttened ker ker ke us ki oqat bhula di he, yaqeen kren ye zardari ect, agar bulae bi to aik adh banda aik adh camera ke sath bhej dia kren, to in ki oqat theek ho jae gi,, ye 2 take ka zardari jo na election me jeeta he , na prime minister he, to us ko itni izzat na do ke ap ke khilaf hi ho jae,, jab media is tarha ke logon ko un ka chehra dikhata he to wo garam ho jatte hen, behoodgi pe uter atte hen, rehman malik behooda ki tarha,,
i love media wherease i am not a generalist.
Another sad joke: What a shit beak this person is!
Ambassador designate to the United States Hussain Haqqani has denied claims that changes are taking place in Pakistan under US influence. “The impression is totally wrong that all the changes in Pakistan are taking place with the will of the US,” he said while speaking on a CNBC programme. Haqqani said the US position as a superpower should be acknowledged and that Pakistan has a multidimensional relationship with it. It is also a reality that the US is influential in the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank, he added. Responding to a question, he said Pakistan could limit relation with the US only when its economy, defence and other fields are fully stable, but “currently we cannot afford it”.