The Supreme Court on Monday issued notices to 58 TV channel owners while hearing petitions filed by journalists against distribution of money and plots by business tycoon Malik Riaz. The two-member bench of Justice Jawad S Khawaja and Justice Arif Hussain heard the petitions filed by journalists Hamid Mir, Absar Alam and other journalists. Counsel for Bahria Town Zahid Bokhari told the court that Malik Riaz had never given any plot or money to any journalists and such insinuations were lies. No amount through Bahria Town pad or cheque was ever distributed. On this, Hamid Mir argued that if this was not true than the court should seek PTA record and see who displayed the list of journalists on the Internet.
Justice Jawad S Khawaja remarked that several important questions had been raised in the petitions and it was imperative that they be argued in the court. Bokhari further told the court that Hamid Mir filed the petition due to his opposition to Dunya TV. “This is a fight of an individual which was being fought through channels,” he said. Hamid Mir said he was a professional journalist and bore no animosity towards anyone. If he had filed the petition due to differences with Dunya TV, its anchorperson Arshad Sharif would not have been party to the petitions. He said besides him, Asma Sherazi and Mazhar Abbas, were also co-respondents and they were all professional journalists and had no link with media house owners. He said they were under constant pressure form TV channel owners as well as other elements. Mir said that no office of any TV channel was operating in Quetta. The court later adjourned then hearing until September 6 and asked for a detailed response from 58 TV channel owners. The counsel for Express TV requested additional time for his client to file a response in the court.