ISLAMABAD: An inquiry headed by the additional registrar of the Supreme Court has found that the former staff officer of ex-chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and a TV channel’s special correspondent were responsible for the selective coverage of the full court reference held to honour and bid farewell to the former chief justice.

The inquiry report, which was made public on Saturday, recommended that a warning be issued to Chaudhry Abdul Hameed, the staff officer deputed with the former chief justice.

However, the report did not recommend any action against Geo TV’s special correspondent Abdul Qayyum Siddiqui.

Warning may be issued to the officer, says inquiry report

The inquiry found that Hameed “failed to ensure that the footage was simultaneously given to all TV channels. There appears [to be] mismanagement and a lack of proper coordination on his part in the matter, even though later on he took certain steps, including establishing contact with Mr Abdul Qayyum Siddiqui in whose possession the footage was. Had he ensured that the video made by the private cameraman was handed over to Mr Shahid Hussain Kamboyo, Public Relations Officer, or any other official of the court, the footage would have been given to all the channels simultaneously as per past practice and no cause [for] complaint [would have] arisen”.

It recommended that “a warning may be issued to him to remain careful in future”.

This matter was the first notice incumbent Chief Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani took after assuming office on Dec 12, 2013.

Television journalists covering the full court reference on Dec 11 — the day Justice Chaudhry retired — protested after Geo TV exclusively aired footage of the former chief justice’s speech.

Published in Dawn, June 1st, 2014