For the last 8 years, the Supreme Court of Pakistan has become a place from where jokers peddle their art. 2007 was a year that gave us two jokers namely, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and Khalil ur Rehman Ramday. Both these un-gentlemen made a mockery of the justice system, the constitution and the way Pakistan was governed for their petty interests. Asif Saeed Khosa was elevated in 2010 and he took up the role of joker-in-waiting. His “Pity the nation” was a joke of the highest order and firmed up the notion that these judges are nothing but clowns. Lately from 2011, a self-righteous and anarchist Jawwad S. Khawaja is taking the lead in becoming the leader of pack of clowns at the Supreme Court.

His statements, are generally published as “Supreme Court says” in Jang and The News. Ever since, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry retired, there has been a dearth of foot in the mouth statements from a gentleman CJ, Justice Tassaduq Jilani. In his absence, all damaging and negative statements come from Jawad Khwaja.

Jawwad S. Khawaja in the last one and half years has been taking up cases which become headlines. He is a relative of the Jang Group head honcho, Mir Shakil ur Rehman. All cases for and against Jang Group somehow reach his bench. Last year in April 2013, he was part of the bench that got rid of the Securities & Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) Chairman, Mohammad Ali. Campaign against Mohammad Ali was run by Jang Group and news related to him were strategically timed on the day of hearing. Jawwad S. Khawaja has also been taking up the “Missing Persons” case, something which pits the government and military in a tight spot. Whether there are missing persons or not, is a separate matter, but missing persons do make headlines everywhere.

Coming to the recent activities, there is a banners case going on in the Supreme Court. There is a banner which is shown below:

 

 

Apparently, on May 28, a news item was published in Jang and The News in which the headline was “WHO PEDDLES IDEAS ABOUT CLASH OF INSTITUTIONS, SC ASKS GOVT; JUSTICE KHAWAJA SAYS BANNERS POP UP WHEN COURT HEARS MISSING PERSONS CASE – ISLAMABAD: JUSTICE JAWWAD S KHAWAJA HAS OBSERVED BANNERS AGAINST THE COURT WERE HANGED WHEN IT TOOK UP THE MISSING PERSONS CASE. HE SAID THESE BANNERS WERE LIKE EXPLOSIVES, WHICH COULD CAUSE AN IRREPARABLE LOSS.” The said news item can be read on http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-13-30590-Who-peddles-ideas-about-clash-of-institutions-SC-asks-govt

Now Jawwad S. Khawaja says he has never said such a thing and a rejoinder has been published in Jang and The News. Now the point is, who is responsible for such kind of statements? Honestly, knowing the track record of Jawad Khwaja, one can believe he could have said such a thing, and knowing Jang, The News and Geo who are always trying to protect their self interest, it didn’t surprise that they again twisted the statements and created headlines.

What’s funny is to see a two line apology from Jang / The News: “THE NEWS REGRETS THE PUBLICATION OF REMARKS NOT MADE BY JUSTICE JAWWAD S KHAWAJA. IT IS BEING INVESTIGATED HOW IT HAPPENED. THE REMARKS WERE, HOWEVER, CREEDED BY NEWS AGENCIES AND ALSO CARRIED BY OTHER NEWSPAPERS.” Now the questions are:

 

• Will Jawwad S. Khawaja take Jang / The News / Geo to task or will this be an opportunity for the media group to show that Jawwad S. Khawaja is a balanced and honest judge?
• The self serving interests are Jang / The News / Geo produce literal half page explanations and repeat the same on their channel like they are doing the responses to Imran Khan while here a simple regret is sufficient?
• Isn’t Jawwad S. Khawaja himself to be blamed for bringing his name and the Supreme Court to disrepute by not recusing himself from the case pertaining to Jang Group for a clear conflict of interest exists?

 

It is high time that our people and so called intelligentsia sees through the mindlessness of the Supreme Court and ask for these judges to take permanent leave and let this country run in which the leadership is accountable to people and not the whims of jokers ie judges and media houses!

 

Justice Jawwad Khawaja denies report

published in newspapers

Sohail Khan

Thursday, May 29, 2014

From Print Edition

ISLAMABAD: Justice Jawwad S Khawaja on Wednesday showed dismay over the reporting of the missing person case in newspapers, saying some media houses believed that national institutions should not deliver in accordance with their mandate because of wrong reporting.

A two-member bench of the apex court, comprising Justice Jawwad S Khawaja and Justice Mushir Alam, heard the case of the Independent Media Corporation on behalf of Geo Network against the negative propaganda by other channels, and a civil miscellaneous application filed on display of posters and banners in Islamabad against the judiciary.

The court in its order said that it had given clips of a television programme to the Attorney General (AG) for Pakistan, Salman Aslam Butt, on May 27, 2014 in order to probe as to why a television channel was disseminating irresponsible kind of programme. The AG informed the court that that matter was being probed.

Justice Jawwad said that the issue of the TV programme was not being resolved and another statement was published against him in an English newspaper — The News.The bench reproduced the news item in its order, “Who peddles ideas about clash of institutions, SC asks govt; Justice Khawaja says banners pop up when court hears missing persons case – Islamabad: Justice Jawwad S Khawaja has observed banners against the court were hanged when it took up the missing persons case. He said these banners were like explosives, which could cause an irreparable loss.”

Justice Jawwad said the same news was carried by the Urdu Daily Jang and ruled that no word was uttered during the missing person case which both the papers published.He referred the hearing of a constitutional plea 104-105 of 2012 saying it was emphasised during the proceedings that media freedom was not meant for irresponsible deliveries in journalism, adding that the court had suggested to work out a code of conduct with implementation, so that electronic or print media could avoid irresponsible reporting.

The court directed the AG to bring the matter relating to the code of conduct for reporting in the government knowledge so that serious efforts could be made to develop the code.Khudayar Mohla, President of the Press Association of the Supreme Court (PAS), however, informed the court that the association had worked out a draft code of conduct for reporting which had been circulated among its members and would be finalised after consultative process.

He further submitted that court directives to the government for the code of conduct for media reporting could be misinterpreted. At this, Justice Jawwad observed that no colourable interpretation would be allowed.

Matiullah Jan, a member of the PAS, urged the court to take all the institutions and persons into consultative process for developing the code of conduct, adding that without hearing all the concerned persons, no code of conduct could be finalised. Meanwhile, the government informed the bench that three persons allegedly involved in displaying posters and banners in the federal capital against the judiciary had been arrested.In compliance with the court’s order of May 26, 2014, the AG submitted the reports of the interior secretary and DG Intelligence Bureau (IB).

He informed the court that three persons namely Shafique Butt, Muhammad Nazar and Muahmmad Waqar were being interrogated by the police after registeration of an FIR No.234/14. The AG, however, sought time to investigate the matter after apprehending more accused of displaying the anti-judiciary banners and posters in Islamabad, saying that the investigation would be completed as early as possible.Later, the court adjourned the hearing till June 10.

Editor’s note: The News regrets the publication of remarks not made by Justice Jawwad S Khawaja. It is being investigated how it happened. The remarks were, however, creeded by news agencies and also carried by other newspapers.

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