KARACHI, Aug 18: An anti-terrorism court issued bailable warrants for the arrest of four staffers of a London-based TV channel, for not appearing before the court in a contempt of court case.

Judge Arshad Noor Khan of the ATC-3, who had earlier served the staffers of the ARY Digital with a notice of personal appearance, fixed Aug 25 for taking up the matter and ordered the four officials to appear before the court.

The judge had summoned S M Shakeel, Rauf, Iqbal and Dr Shahid Masood of the TV channel, along with provincial jail chief, Brig Nisar Mehar, superintendent of Central Prison, Karachi, Rashid Saeed, and a convicted murderer, Shaikh Mohammed Amjad, on an application filed by Fazalur Rahman.

The convict, who had kidnapped and killed the 22-year-old son of the applicant for ransom, along with the jail superintendent, appeared before the court and filed their respective written replies. The inspector general of prisons, however, did not appear and one of his deputies told the court that Mr Mehar was ill.

As the four officials of the TV channel did not turn up despite court notice, the judge issued bailable warrants for their arrest and also ordered the publication of the notice.

According to the notice, the TV channel staffers recorded and telecast an interview of the convict Shaikh Amjad, who made derogatory, insulting and objectionable remarks against the ATC-3 and the apex court.

Shaikh Amjad was awarded death by the ATC-3 for kidnapping and killing the son of his next-door neighbour for ransom. He was caught red-handed while phoning the victim’s father from a public booth. He challenged the conviction in the Sindh High Court and subsequently in the Supreme Court, which upheld the verdict of the trial court.

In his application, Mr Fazalur Rahman submitted that Shaikh Amjad accused the trial court of using force and torturing him in recording his statement. He also quoted the convict as saying that his tempered statement was presented to the high court.

Mr Rahman stated that the ARY Digital, in its programme gave an impression to the public that the law courts were biased and functioning only to punish the poor and give relief to rich people. “Bald headed young girls, behind the bars, were shown crying and begging for mercy, creating a feeling of hatred against the judicial system of Pakistan,” he stated.

The applicant, who submitted the tape of the interview, also attached the transcript of Shaikh Amjad’s utterances.

“It is also pertinent to point out that permission to record the statement of the convicted prisoners can only be granted to the relatives, friends and legal advisers, under Rule 538 of the Pakistan Prison Rules,” the applicant also submitted.

In his reply, the jail superintendent submitted that the permission of interviews was granted under the police and instruction of the home department, under the Jail Manual Rules 543 and 545.

He stated that the media were invited to record interviews of prisoners to remove impression of cruelty and alleged inhuman treatment meted out to the convicts in the jails.