The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed Hussain Nawaz's request to prohibit the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) probing allegations of money laundering against the Sharif family from recording videos of the proceedings.

Hussain, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's elder son, had filed a request in the apex court earlier this month after a CCTV image of his appearance before the JIT was 'leaked'.

Hussain had sought the formation of a commission to investigate the leaking of the photo. He had claimed in the request that the photo leak was against ethical and legal codes, adding that the recording videos of the JIT's proceedings was akin to "pressurising" witnesses appearing before the body.

He added that the recording of proceedings does not allow witnesses to "speak without being treated like a criminal".

The apex court, rejecting Hussain's request, said that video recordings are only used for the prepare the transcript.

"Till the law is amended, the video recordings will not be shown in the court room," Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan, head of the special implementation bench of the Supreme Court, said Tuesday.

"Video recordings cannot be presented as evidence before the court," the judge assured.

The judge also noted that action had been taken against one suspect identified in connection with the leaking of Hussain's photo.

Attorney General (AG) Ashtar Ausuf told the court that there was no objection to the report of the investigation into the leaked photo being made public.

However, the court said the report would not be disclosed to the public.

The court also ordered the Intelligence Bureau (IB) to file a reply to the SC in relation to the allegations against it.

The bureau has come under fire recently after it was alleged that it had hacked a Facebook account in the use of JIT member Bilal Rasool and his family members in order to retrieve its contents — which were apparently attached by Hussain Nawaz in a complaint regarding the JIT's partiality to the SC.

Last week, the director general of the IB conceded that the agency collected 'details' of the members of the JIT, but denied hacking any individual's social media accounts or harassing their family.

A day earlier, the SC had sought the AG's assistance in determining what legal backing the bureau has to become ‘private sleuths’, admonishing the civilian spies for "interfering" in the JIT's investigation.

Opinion

Editorial

Judiciary’s SOS
Updated 28 Mar, 2024

Judiciary’s SOS

The ball is now in CJP Isa’s court, and he will feel pressure to take action.
Data protection
28 Mar, 2024

Data protection

WHAT do we want? Data protection laws. When do we want them? Immediately. Without delay, if we are to prevent ...
Selling humans
28 Mar, 2024

Selling humans

HUMAN traders feed off economic distress; they peddle promises of a better life to the impoverished who, mired in...
New terror wave
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

New terror wave

The time has come for decisive government action against militancy.
Development costs
27 Mar, 2024

Development costs

A HEFTY escalation of 30pc in the cost of ongoing federal development schemes is one of the many decisions where the...
Aitchison controversy
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

Aitchison controversy

It is hoped that higher authorities realise that politics and nepotism have no place in schools.