ISLAMABAD - Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, the judge of Supreme Court, on Wednesday recused himself from hearing of contempt case against television anchors.
“I have expressed my views at a forum on the leaked tape of TV programme, so I will not sit in the bench,” Justice Khosa remarked while hearing the contempt case.
A three-member bench headed by Justice Asif Saeed Khosa and comprising Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan and Justice Athar Saeed resumed hearing of the petition seeking initiation of contempt proceedings against TV anchors over the allegedly planted interview conducted on June 13 of Malik Riaz Hussain.
During the course of hearing, Ali Zaffar, the counsel for Mubashir Lucman, apprised the bench that the tape of off-air conversation between the anchors and Malik Riaz was stolen and tempered with before being telecast. It was also unauthorised to air the off-air conversation, Zaffar said and added that private conversation can’t be used as admissible evidence under Article 38 of the Constitution.
On the last date of hearing, the court had issued notices to Malik Riaz, Mian Aamir Mahmood, chief executive of the TV channel, anchors Mubashir Lucman and Mehr Bukhari and the PEMRA chairman.
However, due to the separation of Justice Asif Saeed Khosa from the bench, the hearing of the case was adjourned till date in office.