SC summons representatives of press bodies on Sunday in Zainab murder case

• JIT to also probe seven other similar cases in Kasur

KARACHI: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar on Saturday issued notices to representatives of several press bodies and journalists to appear before the Supreme Court’s Lahore Registry in the Zainab murder case on Sunday.

The summons to media representatives were issued at the heels of false allegations made by TV anchorperson Shahid Masood about the suspect recently arrested in the Zainab murder case.

While hearing the Naqeebullah Mehsud extrajudicial killing at the Supreme Court’s Karachi Registry, the CJP summoned members of Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA), The Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE), All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS), senior journalists, analysts and TV anchorpersons.

“The provision of justice to the masses is not the sole responsibility of judiciary rather the press shares an equal onus,” he remarked.

Referring to baseless ‘revelations’ made by Dr Shahid Masood, the CJP said the top court took notice of rape and murder victim and the responsibility is on the press to ensure transmission of authentic information.

The court then issued summons to Kashif Abbasi, Hamid Mir, Hamid Haroon, Fahad Hussain, IA Rehman, Kamran Khan, Zia Shahid, Sarmad Ali, Aamir Mehmood, Hamid Haroon, and Mir Shakil-ur-Rehman for hearing on Sunday at the Supreme Court’s Lahore Registry.

Meanwhile, the tv anchor did not appear before the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) probing Zainab rape, murder case on Saturday. The senior journalist also skipped the JIT’s meeting held on Friday.

In related development, the Punjab government spokesperson said that the JIT constituted to probe Zainab rape, murder case will also investigate seven other similar unfortunate cases held in Kasur.

In his programme on TV channel NewsOne, Shahid Masood had claimed that the suspect maintained over 37 bank accounts, mostly foreign currency denominated, with transactions in dollars, euros and pounds sterling. He had repeated the allegations in the Supreme Court on Thursday. On Friday, State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) refuted the claim after the probe into multiple bank accounts allegedly held by the suspect Imran Ali found no account was registered under the suspect’s name and CNIC data.

SBP Governor Tariq Bajwa said that Imran had only an easypaisa account which has only Rs 130 in it.

The story was given a new twist on Thursday, when Masood handed over to Mian Saqib Nisar two names written on a folded paper of people who, he claimed, were behind an international racket running a child pornography ring.

Later, while talking to journalists, Masood claimed that one of them was a sitting federal minister but kept the name secret, saying the disclosure might endanger the life of the suspected killer of the Kasur girl who was arrested on Tuesday.

In his programme, Masood had requested the chief justice, prime minister and army chief to take notice of these facts, claiming that the rapist was neither a psychic, deranged or an insane person nor a simpleton.