Apex court suspends Shahid Masood’s program for three months

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court slapped a three-month ban on anchorperson Dr Shahid Masood’s TV show, here on Tuesday.

Chief Justice Saqib Nisar headed the three-member bench and heard a suo motu case on the anchorperson’s now-debunked allegations about the Zainab murder case convict’s for possessing foreign links.

During the hearing, anchorperson Dr Shahid Masood submitted an unconditional apology to the court but the court rejected and showed anger over his controversial remarks.

Chief justice Saqib Nisar revealed that the anchorperson had ridiculed a court officer on his show a day after appearing in court which is not acceptable in any manner.

CJP remarked that how dare he say this about my law officer and adding that it is possible we initiate contempt proceedings against him.

Later the chief justice directed the airing of the TV program in court and adjourned the hearing briefly before reconvening and suspending the show.

As the hearing resumed, the chief justice remarked that the anchorperson had said if the allegations are proved false, then he should be hanged and asked Shahid Masood to decide your own punishment.

CJP added that the anchorperson take the lightyly and reminded him that it is not the old judiciary and adding that the Supreme Court is working until 7pm these days.

Later the court announced a three-month ban on Masood’s program after he submitted a written apology on its directions.

On March 1, a joint investigation team (JIT), formed on the court’s orders, had submitted its report to the Supreme Court and dismissed all of the anchorperson’s allegations regarding the high-profile case.

Zainab case

Seven year-old Zainab was kidnapped on January 4 in Kasur and after five she was found dead and the post-mortem revealed Zainab had been raped. Later, the authorities succeeded in nabbing the suspect, Imran. He has since been sentenced to death by the trial court.

Anchorperson Dr Shahid Masood in his TV show on Jan 25 had claimed the convict had links with an influential figure and was part of an international ring. The chief justice had taken notice of the claims and sought a subsequent inquiry by a JIT.

In its report to the apex court, the JIT declared baseless all of the 18 allegations leveled by the anchorperson.