IHC stays ATA proceedings against govt officials

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has said that it will, once and for all, decide the matter of filing cases on a particular issue simultaneously across the country which, it said, had become a trend.

The remarks were made by IHC Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri during the hearing of a petition filed by the Information Secretary, Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV) Managing Director and others against the registration of a case for the airing of a press conference by Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) leader Mian Javed Latif against former premier and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan by the national broadcaster.

The Information Secretary, PTV MD and others have moved the court against a case registered against them under the provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) and their petition was taken up by a bench headed by Justice Jahangiri on Wednesday. Additional Attorney General Barrister Munawar Iqbal Duggal appeared in the court.

On the directives of the court, the counsel for the petitioners read out the contents of the FIR. The court remarked: “If a federal minister addresses a press conference on PTV, what is the fault of the PTV’s managing director? If someone comes and talks in the Bar, will a case be filed against the Bar Council’s president?” “When cases are filed against [PTI leader] Azam Swati, they raise hue and cry. [Look] what they are doing!” justice Jahangiri observed.

The court wondered if the petitioners were the top terrorists in the world as the case was registered against them under the ATA provisions. The AAG told the court that after the 18th Constitutional Amendment, the federal government had no control over the provincial police. At this, the court expressed indignation and remarked: “How is there no control? Citizens of Islamabad also have some rights.” The court remarked that a new trend has started that simultaneous cases are being registered all over Pakistan.