News Analysis |
Dr. Shahid Masood has been arrested by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) from the premises of Islamabad High Court (IHC) after the court had dismissed his pre-arrest bail on Friday. It is worth mentioning here that a local court had issued non-bailable arrest warrants for the currently banned television anchor, Dr. Shahid Masood, on 1st June 2018.
The arrest warrants were issued by a senior Civil Judge Aamir Aziz on charges framed by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) regarding the alleged embezzlement to the tune of Rs 30.8 million by the anchorperson who had served as Chairman Pakistan Television. But later on, the TV personality was able to get a pre-arrest bail.
Dr. Masood in the alleged corruption case, but his refusals to appear before the FIA team gives rise to suspicions.
Dr. Masood is accused of deliberately signing an agreement with a fake company to obtain media rights for the Pakistan Cricket Board. The TV channel, alleges the FIA, had to face a heavy loss due to the agreement.
Read more: Dr. Shahid Masood flees court as court rejects pre-arrest bail
The FIA Investigation Officer (IO) Kashir Riaz Awan has also claimed in a request submitted to the court that Dr. Masood has been asked several times to appear before the team. “However, he deliberately avoided to join the investigation,” the request read. The document has further confirmed that there was “sufficient incriminating evidence” on record to “effect the arrest of the titled accused”.
CJP Banned Dr. Shahid Masood
The Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar banned Dr. Shahid Masood, from appearing on Tv for a three-month period on March 20th. Dr. Masood was banned after his claims regarding the presence on an international pornographic ring in Pakistan were found to be “unfounded and baseless” by the JIT.
It is worth mentioning here that a local court had issued non-bailable arrest warrants for the currently banned television anchor, Dr. Shahid Masood, on 1st June 2018.
Dr. Masood had made some very shocking claims in the pretext of rape and murder of eight-year-old Zainab, who belonged to Kasur district of Punjab. The situation got worst when Masood had sought the intervention of the top judge to look into the matter, following which he appeared before the apex court, however, failed to substantiate his claims in successive hearings.
Read more: Local Court issued non-bailable arrest warrants for banned anchor Dr. Shahid…
When the CJP banned the anchorperson from appearing on TV screen he also said the court had not given death sentence to him as was proposed by him. ‘Maybe you take the courts lightly. This is not the old judiciary,’ the chief justice remarked while giving the verdict of the court.
Corruption Allegations Against Dr Masood
FIA, NAB, and judiciary are active institutions these days. Dr. Shahid Masood, who had refused to appear before the FIA team to complete the investigation, did not expect it from the FIA. It is, however, still unclear to determine the role of Dr. Masood in the alleged corruption case, but his refusals to appear before the FIA team gives rise to suspicions.
The Pakistan Television works under the government no matter whether it is civilian or military. Nepotism and corruption have damaged the grace and credibility of the state-owned TV channel in Pakistan. It is proposed by many analysts and scholars that there should be an independent board of directors to regulate the affairs of the PTV. It will give the channel some credibility and grace to gain the confidence of taxpayers.