States cannot control freedom of expression: Justice Athar Minallah

ISLAMABAD (92 News) - Justice Athar Minallah has said that the judges should not worry about the criticism as the judge who announces a verdict under pressure violates his oath.

He was expressing his views during a ceremony on Saturday. "States cannot control the freedom of expression which had been banned since beginning. Neither the country would have been divided into two parts nor the leaders would have been hanged if the freedom of expression was recognized," he opined.

He said that the society that suppressed the freedom of speech was ruined. "A judge should not be affected by the social media. The person telling a lie will himself be exposed. You cannot stop the flow of information after the introduction of so many sources," he added.

Justice Athar Minallah lamented that a half of their life was spent in dictatorship where there was no room for freedom of speech. "In this age, sentence is awarded even before proving the crime. We want judgment and conversation of our choice. Everyone should ask himself where we are heading to," he added.