'Planted' interview: SC issues contempt notices to two anchors
29 June, 2012
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) has accepted a petition for initiating contempt proceedings against the owner of a private TV channel and two TV anchorpersons over the "planted" interview of real estate tycoon Malik Riaz Hussain on June 13. The court also issued notices to Malik Riaz, Mian Aamir Mehmood, chief executive of the TV channel, anchors Mubashir Lucman and Mehr Bukhari and the PEMRA chairman. A two-member SC bench, consisting of Justice Ejaz Afzal and Justice Muhammad Athar Saeed, issued the notices on a petition by Lawyers Writers Forum President Liaquat Ali Qureshi. The petitioner requested the court to prosecute all the five respondents under the Contempt of Court Law and take appropriate action against them in the interest of justice. The court adjourned the hearing for two weeks. On June 15, the SC's full court had already taken a suo motu notice of the interview of Malik Riaz Hussain in a special talk show on the TV channel. The court had constituted a two-member committee consisting of Justice Jawwad S Khawaja and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain to examine the matter. The full court had also resolved to summon a comprehensive report from the PEMRA chairman, which would be submitted to the Supreme Court registrar, who would place the same before the two-member committee. End.
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