PPP calls on CJP to take notice of 'media trial' of party leadership

KARACHI: The Pakistan People's Party (PPP) on Friday called on Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Saqib Nisar to take notice of what it termed the media trial of its leadership in violation of the Supreme Court's orders.

Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, spokesperson for PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, in a statement said the Supreme Court had clearly directed that, to ensure transparent and effective inquiry, no member of the Joint Investigation Committee (JIT) or Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) would divulge any information to the media.

The apex court had passed these orders while forming the JIT to investigate the alleged fake bank accounts.

Sources "within JIT" were openly being quoted on various talk shows and media outlets to speculate on the ongoing inquiry, said Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar.

"The ongoing speculation is clearly being done with a malafide agenda to twist the facts and to malign the PPP leadership and create confusion in the minds of the general public," he said.

In the statement, Khokhar claimed the media trial was being carried out "at the behest of the FIA and JIT", and wondered what options the apex court was left with to correct the damage.

He also questioned the court for "continuously ignoring the media trial".

"This raises a lot of questions on the credibility of the investigators, the conduct of the investigation, and seems that the outcome is already predetermined," he said.

Khokhar hoped the honourable chief justice would take appropriate action in this regard.