SC rejects Hussain Nawaz plea on picture leak

The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected petition of Hussain Nawaz in picture leak issue, which was reserved June 14 just a day before Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was to appear before the Panama papers Joint Investigation Team (JIT). The petition sought stoppage of video recording of Panama papers case JIT proceedings and leaking of Hussain Nawaz photograph. A threemember special implementation bench of the apex court headed by Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan and comprising Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed and Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan heard the case filed by Hussain Nawaz. Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan read out the verdict. It said that the JIT can record the proceedings but cannot use them as evidence. During the course of proceedings, Advocate Khawaja Haris Ahmad counsel for Hussain Nawaz appeared before the bench and said that video recording of JIT proceedings should not be allowed. He alleged that JIT had no control over CCTV cameras. Khawaja Haris expressed concern over leaking of his cli- ent’s picture and said that after leaking of the photo, a video could also be leaked. What was the guarantee that a video would not be leaked, he asked. Justice Ejaz remarked that video recording was done for maintaining accurate transcripts. The facts of the case could not be affected by the procedure and nature of statements also did not change because of it, he added. Justice Azmat Saeed observed that the proceedings’ recordings would help the petitioner more than it could hurt him. Justice Azmat Saeed asked the attorney general if he had read the JIT’s report submitted in the court on Monday. The attorney general replied that he had not read it so far. The bench directed the attorney general to examine the JIT report and submit his response on Thursday. After listening to the arguments, the court reserved the judgment over the issue pertaining to leaking of Hussain Nawaz’s picture and video recording of JIT proceedings and adjourned the hearing of the case till Thursday.