ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Monday said it will proceed against anchorperson Dr Shahid Masood after a probe committee found his startling claims about the convicted murderer and rapist of Kasur’s Zainab false and baseless.
Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar expressed dissatisfaction over the anchor’s reply, saying he didn’t tender an apology over his accusations in his written statement.
He said he would take action against him in accordance with law.
Dr Masood’s lawyer said his client wanted to apologize formally in front of the bench to which the chief justice said he had made it clear in the previous hearing that the time to seek pardon had passed.
He said a recording of the anchor’s late night talk show wherein he urged him to take notice of his claims about the ‘serial killer’ will be played in the court.
The bench issued notices to Attorney General, Prosecutor General of Punjab, and Pemra chairman to submit their response to the court.
The chief justice said the court would determine how long the news channel and the anchor’s talk show in question could be ordered to remain off air.
Masood had claimed the murderer of Zainab, Imran Ali, owned foreign currency accounts and a whole gang was behind him.
He went on to claim that a highly influential political figure was either backing or involved in the child pornography racket working in Kasur, a group which had been making unethical videos of children and then uploading them on dark web.