Tycoon case: Pak court takes up plea to ban TV anchors

A Pakistani court has issued a notice to the country's electronic media watchdog in response to a writ petition, which seeks a ban on two anchors who were filmed coaching real estate tycoon Malik Riaz Hussain, during an interview.

The Lahore high court issued the notice to the chairman of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority in response to the petition filed by Malik Ghulam Mustafa.

The petition alleged that anchors Mubashir Luqman and Meher Bokhari of Dunya TV had conducted a rigged interview of Hussain, who has acknowledged paying Rs 342.5 million to the chief justice's son to influence cases in the Supreme Court.

Mustafa contended that the anchors' actions had maligned the superior judiciary.

He alleged the interview was an attempt to undermine the supremacy of the judiciary and to give a bad name to it.

The two anchors have been at the centre of a controversy after the emergence of two videos of behind-the-scenes footage that showed them coaching the tycoon and discussing questions with him.

One of the videos shows Lucman purportedly receiving a phone call from Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani's son, who also speaks to the tycoon.

Mustafa said the leaked videos of the conversations between the anchors and the tycoon exposed the "real hands" behind the conspiracy, as the premier's son purportedly spoke to Luqman and Hussain.

He alleged that the anchors were "blackmailers" as they not only tried to defame the judiciary but also "harass the nation".

He asked the court to summon both anchors so that they could reveal the truth behind the conspiracy and take penal action against them.