IHC extends stay order in journalists' harassment case.

ISLAMABAD -- The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Thursday extended a stay order, restricting authorities from harassing journalists till July 26.

Hearing a case against harassment of anchorperson Arshad Sharif, IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah remarked that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) or any other authority should inform the journalist's organisation or the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) about the case before they arrest them.

At the outset of the hearing, the IHC CJ questioned where was ARY News' bureau chief as the court had summoned him for airing content that was against the judiciary.

At this, Sharif's lawyer Faisal Chaudhry told the IHC that he was currently in Saudi Arabia performing Umrah. However, it is feared that he might be arrested upon arrival, the counsel said.

The court asked the director of FIA whether a case was registered against the bureau chief. The FIA official said at this time, no complaint was registered against the journalist.

The IHC CJ told the lawyer that since no case has been registered against the bureau chief, the counsel should file a separate plea if it fears that the journalist might be arrested upon arrival.

Moving on, Chaudhry told the IHC CJ that FIA has a counter-terrorism wing that harasses journalists and political workers and would also accuse them of being traitors.

The IHC CJ wondered whether it would be better if the political leadership refrained from using the term "traitor" for their opponents. He told ex-information minister and PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry that his resignation from Parliament had not been accepted till now, so he should sit with the political leadership and resolve issues.

At this, the former information minister questioned...