ISLAMABAD: After examining the report of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), which found the video clip of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Masood-ur-Rehman as genuine, the Supreme Court directed him to submit a written reply in the matter.
A four-member SC bench headed by Justice Umar Ata Bandial had issued a show-cause notice to Masood-ur-Rehman Abbasi, general secretary of PPP in PS-114 constituency, on his derogatory speech against the chief justice.
During the course of the hearing, Justice Bandial asked whether the PPP leader admits that he has delivered controversial speech. Responding to the query of another member of the bench, Justice Ijazul Ahsan asked Abbasi if he was in senses when he made the speech in question, the latter submitted, “No, I was not in my senses.”
Abbasi’s video surfaced after the top court Karachi registry heard a case on June 15 where Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed irked by the PPP-led Sindh government’s failure to attend to the civic issues of Karachi said there seems to be no government in Sindh and the system is being run by influential persons from Canada, London or Dubai.
On Monday, appearing before the bench, Abbasi requested the court for permission to express his stance about the speech in question to which Justice Bandial plainly asked him to submit in writing whatever he intends to say.
Contempt proceeding has been initiated against Masood-ur-Rehman Abbasi on account of derogatory and contemptuous language wherein notices were issued to Attorney General for Pakistan, FIA, Pemra and a show cause notice to Masoodur Rehman Abbasi through IG Sindh in the matter.
The PEMRA official apprised the bench that no television channel has disseminated Abbasi’s speech.
A member of the bench Justice Ijazul Ahsan asked whether offensive content has been removed from Facebook, to which Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) official responded that once the FIA completes evidence gathering process in the matter, the content in question would be removed from the site. He further submitted that ongoing investigation would be affected if the content is removed from the site.
Justice Bandial directed the FIA to collect admissible evidence, saying PTA should be informed about evidence being collected. Justice Bandial directed that the PTA should remove controversial content from social media platforms once the FIA completes the process of evidence gathering.
Later, issuing directives to the PPP leader to submit a reply in response to the contempt charges, the bench adjourned hearing of the matter till July 2.
