SHC issues notices on Dr Amir Liaquat’s plea

KARACHI: Sindh High Court (SHC) has issued notices to advocate general Sindh, and prosecutor general on petition of Geo TV anchor Dr Amir Liaqaut Hussain seeking quashment of four cases, registered against him at different police stations in Khairpur district.
The counsel of the petitioner, ZK Jatoi, submitted in the petition that in wake of a morning show programme aired at Geo Entertainment on May 14, 2014, various competitor channels launched a provocative campaign leveling allegations of contemptuous content and defiling of Ahlebait on the anchor.
He submitted that despite repeatedly tendering unconditional apology by the Geo TV and programme anchor Dr Shaista Lodhi, that was accepted by the Ulema of all sects, Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) suspended licence of the TV for one month. The channel suffered this harsh punishment.
The counsel submitted that as part of malicious campaign, dozens of FIRs were registered against administration of Geo Entertainment TV, the host of programme and other participants throughout the country for alleged blasphemy including four against him in Khairpur district despite.
He said it is a fact that the petitioner did not own a single share of Independent Media Corporation that holds licence of Geo Entertainment TV. He submitted that cases against his client were pending in ATC at Khairpur which issued non-bailable warrants for his arrest.He submitted that the petitioner was not at all participant, host or writer of said programme Utho Jao Pakistan broadcasted at Geo Entertainment TV on May 14; rather, he was out of country from May 8 to May 25 at the time of broadcasting of the programme as shown in entries of his passport. He said that registration of more than one FIRs in different police stations of the same district regarding the same occurrence are in violation of Articles 4, 9, 10-A and 15 of the Constitution. He submitted that each of the trials against him are based on Section 295-A of PPC whose proceedings are liable to be quashed as the same were initiated without any authority from federal or provincial governments which means that the ATC was barred from taking cognizance of the matter; thus, rendering the proceedings till now to be vitiated and liable to be quashed being void under Section 530 of Cr PC. The court was prayed to quash the proceedings as well as order of issuance of non-bailable warrants of the cases pending against the petitioner before ATC at Khairpur.
SHC’s division bench, headed by Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, after preliminary hearing, issued notices to advocate general Sindh and prosecutor general to file comments on next date of hearing.