SC's Justice Tariq Masood recuses himself from hearing petitions on cipher.

Supreme Court of Pakistan's Justice Sardar Tariq Masood on Tuesday recused himself from an in-chamber hearing of petitions seeking probe into a cipher, which contained, according to PTI Chairman Imran Khan, evidence of foreign conspiracy against his government.

The petitions were filed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and government against the objections raised by the SC registrar on them. Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial had nominated Justice Masood for hearing them in his chamber. However, Justice Masood had sent back the petitions to the chief justice, asking him to nominate another judge for the hearing.

The former PM, in his petition, had requested the top court to set up a Memogate-style commission to investigate the alleged 'foreign conspiracy' to topple his government. However, the apex court's registrar office had raised several objections and returned the petition filed by the PTI chief. Subsequently, the PTI chairman had filed an appeal in the Supreme Court seeking in-chamber hearing...