Justice Tariq Masood recuses himself from hearing pleas seeking probe into US cypher.

ISLAMABAD -- Supreme Court Justice Sardar Tariq Masood on Tuesday recused himself from the in-chamber hearing of the petitions seeking a probe into the US cypher - the cable allegedly threatening the ouster of Imran Khan's government.

The apex court conducted the hearing on the appeals filed to probe the matter today. During the hearing, Justice Masood refused to hear the petitions after which they were sent back to Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial.

The former prime minister, in a public gathering of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers on March 27, 2022, had pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket and waved it at the crowd, claiming that it was evidence of an "international conspiracy" being hatched to topple his government.

Justice Masood said that the chief justice should assign the hearing of the in-chamber appeal seeking a probe on US cypher to another judge. The registrar's office then returned the petitions, raising several objections.

The petitions were filed by Advocates Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta, Syed Tariq Badar and Naeemul Hassan.

Advocate Bhutta had first filed a petition in the Supreme Court under Article 184(3) of the Constitution, naming the federation of Pakistan and the law secretary as respondents.

He had argued that it was an unusual situation that could destabilise the country's law and order by seeding hostility against cordial countries. He had implored the apex court that the respondents may be directed to deliver the "letter" to the civil and...