Court orders arrest of Shahid Masood in PTV corruption case

ISLAMABAD: A court here on Friday threw out a bail petition of television anchorperson Dr Shahid Masood in a case pertaining to the alleged financial irregularities in the state-owned PTV.

Special Judge Central Irum Niazi directed police to arrest and produce him in court on next hearing.

The judge was seized with the hearing of an application filed by Mr Masood seeking bail before arrest in the case. His counsel Khawar Shah appeared before the court.

The judge rejected his plea over his failure to appear in person, saying the accused should have turned up in the court.

The Judge issued directives for the police to arrest and present him before the court on next hearing.

During the previous hearing, the court had issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Shahid Masood.

An investigation officer of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Kashif Riaz Awan, had requested the court to issue non-bailable warrants for the anchorperson’s arrest.

“Sufficient incriminating evidences have come on record to effect the arrest of the accused. It is, therefore, requested that non-bailable warrants of arrest of Shahid Masood may please by issued for culmination of instant investigation,” reads the request filed by the FIA official.

Earlier in March, the Supreme Court slapped a three-month ban on Dr Shahid Masood’s TV talk show after a probe committee found his startling claims in the Zainab rape and murder case false and baseless.