IHC bars arrests from court premises

Order Islamabad police to prepare SOPs within two days

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court has stopped the police from arresting any suspect from its premises as well as from the premises of the subordinate courts.

According to details, the IHC directed the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to prepare standard operation procedures (SOPs) related to the arrest of suspects from the court premises within two days.

In a case pertaining to the arrest of a female accused from IHC premises, Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir issued an order, according to which the arrest of any accused from the premises of the higher and district judiciary were prohibited. The court ordered that no accused would be arrested from the premises of Islamabad High Court, Sessions Court and Judicial Complex.

The court has ordered the SSP Investigation to hold a meeting with the Islamabad IGP and prepare SOPs.

Read: Imran’s arrest is legal, rules IHC

During Monday’s hearing, the SSP Investigation informed the court that he was ashamed of the arrest made by a police officer from the IHC premises.

“Generally, arrest is not made from the court premises. I don't know why it happened in this case. The concerned ASI has been suspended and further investigation are under way,” he informed the court.

In his remarks, the IHC judge told the police officer that the purpose of calling him in person was to inform the police that arrests were being made from the court premises. “She is a woman and as soon as she left this court she was arrested. You know the facts. An FIR was registered in May, 2023. We asked if there was any other case and we were told that there was no case. However, when she went out, she was arrested,” the judge remarked.

The court directed the SSP Investigation to immediately hold a meeting with the IGP and inform the court of the outcome within two days. The court adjourned further hearing of the case until Thursday.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 13^th 2024.