IHC judge flags negative effects of live-streaming court proceedings

ISLAMABAD: Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday voiced concerns about the live streaming of cases from higher courts, stating that the practice has produced “very negative outcomes” in certain instances, Dawn News reported on Thursday.

The remarks came during a hearing on a petition concerning the promotion of teachers in various public sector universities. Court proceedings were disrupted when a teacher was found recording the hearing on a mobile phone, a violation of court rules. The device was immediately confiscated by court staff after Justice Kayani asked the individual to identify himself.

The teacher, accompanied by his counsel, offered an unconditional apology, explaining that the recording was made unintentionally. Justice Kayani accepted the apology, noting, “These are teachers; I do not want to say anything to them myself.”

During the session, the court reviewed a policy report submitted by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) regarding promotion criteria for BPS-level teachers. Justice Kayani instructed the petitioner’s counsel to present their arguments during the next hearing. The case was adjourned until after Eidul Fitr.

The judge also reflected on previous cases that had been live-streamed, including disputes over the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party symbol, reserved seats, and review proceedings related to the Article 63-A judgment. He observed that while some ruling parties welcomed these outcomes, opposition groups, particularly PTI, had raised objections, illustrating the potential pitfalls of broadcasting sensitive court proceedings.