SC accepts plea for recording cross-examination through video link.

ISLAMABAD -- Supreme Court of Pakistan on Monday accepted Meera Shafi, a singer and actress, plea for recording her remaining cross-examination through video conferencing. A two-member bench of the apex court comprising Justice Qazi Faez Isa and Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah announced its reserved judgment on the petition of Meera against the Lahore High Court order. The court said that there was no requirement for the petitioner (Meera) to go to the Pakistan Embassy in Canada and to involve any officer of the embassy in the process of recording her remaining cross-examination through video conferencing. The judgment noted that the petitioner is the only defendant in the suit; therefore, her evidence is very much essential to the just decision of the case. The petitioner lives in Canada since 2016 as her ordinary place of residence, with her family including two children, and is not in that country for a short visit. The petitioner comes to Pakistan only when there is a working schedule for her. The court said that waiting for her such a schedule would certainly cause a delay in the decision of the suit, and forcing her to come to Pakistan from Canada by leaving her children there or carrying them with her would incur such expense and inconvenience which surely appears unreasonable under the circumstances of the case. The court held that when the judge observes that the right of cross-examination is being abused by asking questions which are irrelevant and intended to prolong the cross-examination with the object of manipulating error, or to scandalise, insult or annoy the witness, he should intervene and disallow such questions. The counsel for the respondent had requested...