Police conduct, misinformation led to Imaan’s trauma: IHC

Chief justice says court expects complainant would withdraw complaint

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has said that activist Imaan Mazari used “objective language” following the arrest of her mother as her “trauma” was “exacerbated due to the misleading information and unexplained conduct of police officials”.

In its short order, IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah said, “From a plain reading of the memorandum of the petition in hand, it appears that the petitioner had used objectionable language after she had been informed regarding the arrest of her mother."

“A plain reading of the memorandum of the petition and the written reply submitted before the Investigating Officer show that, prima facie, the information provided by the police officials was misleading,” the judge said, adding, “The trauma and distress of the petitioner appear to have been exacerbated due to the misleading information and unexplained conduct of police officials.”

“It also appears that the petitioner’s utterances were not in consonance with the code and ethics of enrolled counsels,” the court said, adding, “Nonetheless, the learned counsel has stated that the petitioner had later realized that the language and accusations were not appropriate.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 3^rd, 2022.