LAHORE, March 12: A full bench of the Lahore High Court on Monday accepted an unconditional apology tendered by the Geo TV Network management and withdrew contempt notices served on them.

The proceedings had been initiated against the channel for telecasting a programme in which a man portrayed as a high court official was shown taking bribe. The court termed the programme an attempt at lowering the dignity of the judiciary.

The bench, while accepting the apology, remarked: “We expect that the network will remain conscious of its responsibilities in future.”

The bench comprised Justice Syed Zahid Hussain, Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa, Justice MA Shahid Siddiqui, Justice Syed Shabbar Raza Rizvi and Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed.

The Geo TV network had on Friday tendered an unconditional apology before the full bench.

Network Chairman Mir Shakilur Rehman had stated before the bench that the information relating to courts shown in the programme was incorrect. He had said though the facts could have been verified before airing the programme, yet regrettably no such verification was done.

He further said the channel never intended to cast any aspersions on the court, and if at all any such impression had been created the same was sincerely regretted.

The court, after considering the apology, had ordered that in order to demonstrate sincerity of what had been stated before the court, the respondent channel should air an apology daily at appropriate timings till next date of hearing on March 12.

The court order further said the respondent would also publish a similar apology on front pages of the daily “Jang” and “The News” at prominent places on daily basis till March 12.

The bench while withdrawing the notice observed: “We have satisfied ourselves that an unconditional apology has been tendered at the very initial state of the proceedings and their sincerity stand demonstrated through their conduct of telecasting and printing apologies.”