SC grants bail to anchorperson

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Monday granted bail to anchorperson and former chairman of Pakistan’s official television Dr Shahid Masood against surety bond of Rs500000/ in an alleged corruption matter in state-run Pakistan Television Corporation.

A two-member bench of the apex court headed by Justice Manzoor Ahmed heard the bail application of Shahid Massod and granted him bail against bail bonds worth Rs500,000. The court observed that three other suspects in the case have already been granted bail by the trail court.

Last year on November 23, the Federal Investigation Agency had taken Shahid Masood into custody from the premises of the Islamabad High Court after his bail application was rejected in the PTV corruption case. The anchorperson was later sent to Adiala Jail on judicial remand.

Masood, who was appointed State TV chairman in the tenure of Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP), is accused of signing an agreement with a fake company to negotiate with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for grant of rights for coverage of cricket matches played in Pakistan.

He was involved in embezzlement of around Rs37 million from the official TV as he negotiated with PCB for media rights and granted them to a fake catering company, according to FIA.