ISLAMABAD: Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) issued on Monday bailable arrest warrants for ARY television anchorperson Muba­shir Lucman after he neither appeared before the court nor submitted his reply as required by a court directive.

The court issued the warrants on a petition filed by the Shuhada Foundation of Pakistan Trust (SFPT) against the TV channel for airing alleged defamatory programmes about the superior judiciary judges.

The court also heard a contempt of court petition mo­­v­ed by the Islamabad District Bar Association through its counsel Syed Nayab Hassan Gardezi against the TV channel.

The bench in its order noted that Mr Lucman’s attitude was not only contemptuous but also irresponsible.

The ARY’s counsel infor­med the court that Mr Luc­man could not appear bec­a­u­­se he was out of the country.

The court observed that Mr Lucman neither appea­red before the court nor submitted his reply and he had even failed to seek leave from court appearance.

Pakistan Broadcasters As­­so­ciation’s executive director Mohammad Ali Butt told the court that the PBA had not been provided with a copy of the petition.

The counsel for the Coun­cil of Pakistan Newspaper Editors, Raheel Kamran Sheikh advocate, also told the court that they had not been provided with the CDs of the programmes. The court directed the Pakistan Electronic Media Regula­tory Authority to provide the CDs and the transcript to the CPNE and the PBA.

The Shuhada Foundation of Pakistan Trust has contended that some anchorpersons, particularly Mr Luc­man, are conducting such programmes that are prejudicial to the integrity, honour, respect and independence of the superior judiciary.

Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2014