LHC CJ disposes of plea against Ansar Abbasi

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Tuesday disposed of a petition seeking contempt proceedings against journalist Ansar Abbasi allegedly for scandalizing judiciary by publishing a news item about relation of an underworld don Nannu Goraya and a high court’s judge.

Advocate Mazhar Ali Ghallu and Barrister Zafarullah Khan had filed the petitions pleading that the journalist published fake news about confessional statement of Nannu wherein he disclosed his relations with now retired justice Muhammad Bilal Khan.

The petitioners stated that former regional police officer of Gujranwala Zulfiqar Cheema had forced the alleged gangster to make the confessional statement before killing him in a fake encounter.

They said an attempt was made to scandalize the judiciary by publishing a concocted story about relations of the gangster with a judge. The lawyer had sought contempt proceedings against the journalist and the then RPO Cheema.

An assistant advocate general submitted a report before the court and stated that media reports about the confessional statement of the gangster proved to be correct. He said that since the gangster had been killed in an encounter, his statement stood final and could not be challenged. The law officer further said no contempt of court had been found in the media reports published on the matter. At this, Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah disposed of the petitions.