TERENCE J SIGAMONY
ISLAMABAD: Dr Shahid Masood, anchorperson of a private TV channel, assured the Supreme Court that he will observe due diligence and care in future.
Dr Masood on Saturday in compliance with the Supreme Court order filed his reply wherein he said: “I highly appreciate prompt action taken by the Chief Justice on his programme broadcast on TV channel News One on 24-01-2018 at 08:05 pm. I also assure the apex court that I shall observe due diligence and care before making such a statement in future.”
Dr Masood in his television show telecast on January 24, 2018 and his media talk on 25.01.2018 outside the apex court alleged that rapist and murderer of minor girl, Zainab, had bank accounts within and outside Pakistan, but he could not prove his allegations.
CJ Mian Saqib Nisar, therefore, on January 29, 2018 had constituted a three-member inquiry committee, headed by Bashir Memon, Director General Federal Investigation Agency, and comprising Anwar Ali, Joint Director Intelligence Bureau (IB), and Asmatullah Junejo, Assistant Inspector General (Operation Division) of Islamabad Police, to probe truth and determine the veracity in the allegations of the TV anchor of private channel.
The committee report found no evidence of the allegations levelled by Dr Shahid Masood that Imran Ali has connection with the mafia and has 37 bank accounts.
The Chief Justice on March 8 had turned down his apology and said: “Time for apology is over.” “Justice will be done in this case,” he had added. However, the Chief Justice had told him if he would apologize in public then the Court may consider it. The court had granted three days to the TV anchor to file a reply on inquiry committee’s report. The case will be taken up on Monday (March 12).
Dr Masood in his reply stated that since the murder of 8-year-old Zainab at Kasur was a sensitive issue, he was not only being an anchor and journalist but also as a father was highly concerned and emotionally upset.
“It was in my personal knowledge that there is an international racket which deals with live violent child pornography and the same is telecast on dark web.
“My basic concern has been and I was of the firm view that the circumstances and manner in which the tragic incident took place and the violence which appeared on the body parts of the victim were identical to similar incidents which take place in respect of the child violent pornography which is being telecast and viewed on dark web.”
Dr Masood said that he came across such recording from his own sources on the dark web where the minors are subjected to brutal torture and rape and murdered and the same is viewed live by many people across the world.
“Being sensitive about the issue, I also came across some information regarding the evidence of certain bank accounts of the accused Imran and his connections with some influential people which prompted me to form an opinion that the accused is a member of the international racket involved in such heinous crime.”
Dr Masood submitted that with this sensitivity and emotional distress he conducted the programme. The court has been gracious in constituting an inquiry committee with a task to probe into the matter in order to dig out the truth.
He said that the inquiry committee did associate him and other relevant persons including senior journalist Zia Shahid. The inquiry committee conducted an inquiry and submitted its report before the apex court in which the revelations made by him were declared to be ill-founded and not proved.
Since the apex court at its own had selected the members of inquiry committee and they were given mandate to dig out the truth hence he could not comment on the veracity of the findings, Dr Masood’s reply said. “Whatever the inquiry committee has concluded neither do I contest nor do refuse the same,” he added.
