IHC issues notices to FIA over alleged contempt

DG Wajid Zia, IO in video scandal asked to submit reply next week

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday issued notices to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) chief and one of its investigation officers over a petition of the PML-N which seeks contempt of court proceedings against the officials.

The FIA last week raided the headquarters of the former ruling party in Lahore and confiscated record of a July 2018 press conference held by the PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz.

In the press conference, Maryam had shown a video of the Islamabad accountability court-II former judge Arshad Malik, he convicted the former premier Nawaz Sharif in Dec 2018 in a graft case.

In the video, the judge allegedly confessed to a PML-N worker Nasir Butt that he convicted Nawaz, the PML-N supreme leader, under pressure.

The judge was later removed from his position but the FIA had lodged an FIR on basis of the judge’s statement contesting the PML-N’s claims.

Last Thursday a four-member FIA team raided the PML-N headquarters ahead of quizzing three senior PML-N members, including former information minister Pervaiz Rashid.

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The party later moved the IHC against the alleged contempt of court by the FIA, which, according to the party ignored the court’s order, restraining the agency from causing any harassment.

The IHC bench – headed by Chief Justice Athar Minallah – on Thursday took up the petition filed by the PML-N counsel Jahangir Jadoon who told the court that the FIA had been harassing the party despite a court order restraining the agency.

The counsel also submitted an FIR registered in 2016 against the FIA personnel, Assistant Director Ijaz Shaikh, for allegedly giving false testimony in a case. Shaikh is investigating the case pertaining to the video of judge Arshad Malik.

Justice Athar Minallah directed the FIA Director General Wajid Zia to justify why the court orders had not been implemented. The court also summoned Ijaz Shaikh to appear in court in person and sought comments on the petition before the next date of hearing. The court later adjourned for two weeks.

(With additional input from APP)