Geo TV owner, 3 others booked for ‘blasphemy’

ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: The Margalla Police Station registered an FIR under sections 295-C and 298-A against owner of the Geo Network Mir Shakil-ur-Rehman, morning show host Dr Shaista Lodhi, actress Veena Malik and her husband Asad Basheer Khatak for allegedly committing blasphemy.

Islamabad Additional Sessions Judge Jahangir Awan ordered police to register blasphemy case against the accused for airing ‘blasphemous’ content in a morning show hosted by Dr Shaista and participated by Veena Malik and her husband as guests.

Arshad Butt, a resident of Sector F-8, Islamabad, had filed the petition.

Meanwhile, the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) chief Sahibzada Hamid Raza filed a petition in the Supreme Court against the administration of Geo Television for airing ‘blasphemous’ content.

In his application, the petitioner pleaded to the court to take action against the accused under Article 20 of the constitution and requested the court to constitute a larger bench to hear the case.
Talking to media on the occasion, Hamid Raza said the Geo administration had hurt the feelings of whole Ummah by airing a ‘blasphemous’ programme.

Meanwhile, Punjab Bar Council (PbBC) called for exemplary punishment to Mir Shakil-ur-Rehman, Shaista Lodhi, Veena Malik and her spouse Asad Khattak.

The PbBC has banned the entry of reporters and cameramen of Geo into the courts premises. It demanded the government take stern action against all the accused and warned that lawyers will move courts if government failed to take any action. The PbBC also announced to boycott the courts on Monday.

Source: Daily Times