ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday ordered to close Dr Shahid Masood’s program for three months while the anchorperson sought unconditional apology from the Apex Court.
In his remarks towards Dr Shahid Masood, the Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar said that you have asked to be hanged if the News is false but we are not hanging you.
The Chief Justice said that we will see whether according to the PEMRA (Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority) rules your program or Channel can be closed or not?
Justice Saqib Nisar said that we will see what action can be taken against Shahid Masood as per these laws. He said that you (Dr Shahid Masood) think that the courts are weak but these are not the older Courts.
Dr Shahid Masood in his program “Live with Dr Shahid Masood” aired on “News One” on January 24, 2018 had hurled startling allegations, saying that an organized pornography gang was behind Imran Ali – a 24-year-old convict who was awarded four-time death penalty apart from one life imprisonment and slap of Rs 3.2 million fine on February 17, 2018 by an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Lahore for brutally killing nine minor girls including Zainab in Kasur.
Eventually the Supreme Court took a Suo moto notice of Dr Shahid Masood’s allegations; however, the anchor failed to prove his allegations before the Court, and sought apology from the Court. But the Court declined to accept his apology, and warned him of strict action over his baseless accusations.
Individual hardly matters when it come to media’s responsibility. Banned someone for one week or one year, you may find another one. What we need is an Independent ‘Media Complaints Commission’ or implementation on Media Commission’s report for check and balance.
— Mazhar Abbas (@MazharAbbasGEO) March 20, 2018
Oh this drama of loud sounds and hollow fury. The fact about Shahid Masood’s ‘punishment’ is that he has been given a 3-month paid holiday ending exactly around election time—-what a farce. 1/2
— Syed Talat Hussain (@TalatHussain12) March 20, 2018
You desecrate dead children’s memory, involve their brutal murders in some sick paedophilic fantasy, traumatise their families, shock the nation, slander every govt institution, lie, lie and lie and you are sent on leave with a lecture on court’s greatness? Stunning. 2/2 https://t.co/8kEe2UGewb
— Syed Talat Hussain (@TalatHussain12) March 20, 2018
Justice Served !! pic.twitter.com/HWqNWAGcxp
— Mansoor Ali Khan (@_Mansoor_Ali) March 20, 2018
