Govt to file complaint against Islamabad judge

The Advocate General of Islamabad on Thursday confirmed he would lodge a formal complaint with the chief justice of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against a judge, who reportedly gave unlawful ruling on an application filed by media personality Mohsin Baig.

In an exclusive interview with The Express Tribune, Islamabad Advocate General Niazullah Niazi said that it was not legally right for the court to give observation when Baig was produced in the court on Wednesday. He added that the complaint would be submitted in the next two days.

Niazi said that he had briefed Prime Minister Imran Khan in the presence of the attorney general for Pakistan about the Noor Moqadam, Osama Satti and other cases, including the one pertaining to Baig.

Niazi that he informed the prime minister that when the police produced Baig in court, it was not legally right for the court to give observation, adding that the Advocate General's Office would file a formal complaint with the IHC chief justice against the judge concerned.

Niazi said he would be present in the Islamabad High Court on Friday (today) during hearing of Baig’s case. Niazi added that after the briefing, the prime minister said that no one was above the law, whether one was from media or any other department.

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According to Niazi, Imran said that negative propaganda was being spread against the government through various means. Even the good deeds of the government were being portrayed in a negative light by some elements. He added that people, doing good work, were portrayed negatively by the media.

The Cyber Crime Wing of the FIA and the Islamabad police had arrested Baig from his house on Wednesday. The FIA had registered a case against Baig on the complaint of Federal Minister Murad Saeed, while the police registered a separate case under the Anti-Terrorism Act.

Baig’s son was also named in the case registered at Margalla police station. The FIA said that Baig, along with his son and employees, committed the crime by firing on government employees. An anti-terrorism court had remanded Baig to the police on a three-day physical remand.

On Thursday, Baig’s wife challenged the terrorism case in the IHC. In her petition, she requested the court to dismiss the terrorism case, stating that the police had registered a false and baseless case against Baig in the Margalla police station.

The FIA had registered the case against Baig days after the former made unethical remarks against Murad Saeed during a private TV channel programme.

The programme received heavy criticism from the government quarters, and the channel was also served a show-cause notice by the media regulator.