Axact case to ultimately land in SC: CJP

Says scandal brought shame to Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The apex court has said if Bol TV, which is a sister company of Axact, has too much problem with rating, it should be shut down. The whole industry cannot be destroyed for sake of one channel.

“The entire investment in Bol comes from black money. Machinery has been installed without paying taxes. The whole channel will close down if investigation is started,” said a Supreme Court bench headed by the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar.

The bench was hearing a contempt of court case filed by Bol TV against the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra). The court also ordered that all the rating companies be given interim registration for one month.

In the beginning, the attorney general told the court that eight companies have applied for registration. He said the Media logic has interim permission for rating and Pemra has asked for additional documents from other companies but Bol TV has not applied for rating to date.

The CJP said it seemed once again they are trying to create a new issue. “The court had ordered registration of all companies. Why all the companies have not been given interim permission?” he said.

Bol TV later withdrew its application of contempt of court against Pemra. The court ordered that Pemra can cancel registration if the rating companies fail to provide documents after one month of interim permission. The court also withdrew contempt of court order against Media Logic CEO Salman Danish.

CJP says Axact cases ultimately to land in SC

The Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar has said trial of the Axact Company’s Chief Executive Officer Shoaib Sheikh who is accused of running a diploma mill in the name of an IT company will ultimately be held by apex court.

“The fake degree scandal has given a bad name to the country,” the CJP said as the court issued notices on an appeal of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) against Sheikh’s acquittal in the fake degree case by a court in Peshawar.

During hearing of the case, the court was told that the FIA counsel Hamid Ali Shah had pleaded to defer the case. The CJP said the FIA Director General Bashir Memon comes to court by leaving all his work and this is an important case. “The court will not accept the plea to defer the case in this way.”

The deputy attorney general told the court that four cases are being heard in this regard – two in Karachi, one in Islamabad and one in Peshawar.  The appeal of the accused in Islamabad is heard by the Islamabad High Court (IHC), which has suspended conviction of the accused.

The CJP said suspension of punishments has become a tradition now.  “The accused was sentenced to 18-year of imprisonment. Why the FIA did not appeal in the SC against suspension? Is bail a non-serious business?”

He ordered that the trial court of Karachi should give its judgement in the first case in 6 weeks and of the second case in 3 months. “If this is not done, the judge will have to explain,” he added as the court issued notice and ordered Axact a reply to the FIA appeal in the SC.

The hearing of the case was adjourned till October 31.