ISLAMABAD: A three-judge Supreme Court bench, headed by Justice Jawwad S. Khawaja, will take up on Thursday a hurriedly filed petition of the Geo TV network, seeking immediate intervention to halt what it termed a hate campaign and provocations against it.

The petition by the Independent Media Corporation asked the court to issue directives to restrain all channels, including Geo, from airing allegations against other channels or media groups.

It was filed against the backdrop of a smear campaign against the television network by rival media groups kick started after a May 14 morning show aired a performance by some Qawals.

The petitioner requested the Supreme Court to order the law-enforcement and investigation agencies and lower courts all over the country to submit copies of all criminal complaints, FIRs and petitions filed under Section 22A that contained allegations of blasphemy regarding the show.

The court was requested to issue directives for consolidation of all FIRs that might have been registered in various parts of the country and to restrain the law enforcing and investigating agencies from registering any new case, but to forward all pending and new FIRs containing allegations of blasphemy before the SC for eventual quashing of proceedings on them.

A request was also made to order the relevant law-enforcement agencies in all the provinces to take required steps for protection of the petitioners, management and staff of the Geo/Jang Group, along with their offices all over the country.

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2014