Pakistani netizens are questioning the hours-long live media coverage of Supreme Court senior judge Justice Qazi Faez Isa who has recently become the target of much controversy.
According to the details, Justice Qazi Faez Isa was addressing a ceremony on the Constitution of Pakistan in Islamabad. However, the over two hours-long live media coverage of Justice Faez Isa’s statements are being widely questioned on social media.
Read more: Justice Qazi Faez Isa spotted in parliament
“Perhaps there is no other example of a long-live coverage for a Supreme Court judge. It has been going on for the past two hours, and all the TV channels including PTV are showing it live,” senior TV journalist Kamran Khan said.
شاید سپریم کورٹ کے کسی جج صاحب کی انداز کی طویل لائیو کوریج کی کوئی اور مثال نہیں آنے والے چیف جسٹس آف پاکستان حالیہ سینئیر ترین سپریم کورٹ جج جسٹس قاضی فائز عیسی کی اسلام آباد کی " شفائے تعمیر ملت یونیورسٹی " کی تقریب میں گفتگو گزشتہ دو گھنٹوں سے جاری ہے تمام ٹی وی چینلز بشمول… pic.twitter.com/oWQ32QthMK
— Kamran Khan (@AajKamranKhan) April 19, 2023
“Why Qazi Faiz Isa’s long speech is being shown live on all channels? Does any other Supreme Court judge get this much coverage?” questioned journalist Anwar Lodhi.
قاضی فائز عیسٰی کی اتنی لمبی تقریر تمام چینلز پر براہ راست کیوں دکھائی جا رہی ہے؟
کیا کسی اور سپریم کورٹ کے جج کو بھی اتنی کوریج دی جاتی ہے؟
— Anwar Lodhi (@AnwarLodhi) April 19, 2023
“All TV channels have broken all the previous records by showing Justice Qazi Faez Isa Sahib live for two and a half hours continuously,” former Punjab Home Minister Hashim Dogar said.
ڈھائ گھنٹے لگاتار جسٹس قاضی فائز عیسی صاحب کو تمام ٹی وی چینلز نے لائیو دکھا کر تمام اگلے پچھلے ریکارڈ توڑ دئیے ہیں
— Hashim Dogar (@ColhashimDogar) April 19, 2023
During the ceremony, Justice Faez Isa – who is slated to become the next CJP in September- was asked about the difference in opinion regarding the top judge’s suo motu powers. He explained that the Constitution gave the top court as a whole the right to take suo motu notice, adding that this power did not exclusively lie with the chief justice of Pakistan (CJP).
“The Supreme Court means all its judges,” he stressed, adding every step should be taken carefully on the suo motu clause.
Justice Isa said that some of his colleagues were of the opinion that only the CJP could exercise the right to take suo motu notice. “The Constitution does not say this. If it does, you may tell me the article.”
دو گھنٹے تک میڈیا پر براہ راست نشر ہونے کے بعد جسٹس قاضی فائز عیسی نے تقریب کے اختتام پر کہا کہ
“اگر مجھے پتہ ہوتا کہ میڈیا یہاں موجود ہے تو میں شاید یہاں نہ آتا”۔
🤣
— Rizwan Ghilzai (Student of Arshad Sharif) (@RizwanGhilzai) April 19, 2023
جسٹس قاضی فائز عیسی نے آئی ایس پی آر کی لائیو پریس کانفرنس کا ریکارڈ توڑ دیا۔
— Mohammad Kamran Khan (@Kamran0175) April 19, 2023
Justice Isa’s remarks come amid a growing debate in recent weeks about the CJP’s suo motu powers. A bill aimed to deprive the office of the CJP of powers to take suo motu notice in an individual capacity has also been passed by Parliament.
However, the implementation of the bill, which is yet to become law, has been curbed by a larger bench headed by CJP Umar Ata Bandial.
Read more: Will President’s Curative Review Petition against Justice Faez Isa succeed?