IHC appoints assistants in contempt case

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has appointed assistants in a contempt of court case initiated based on a letter from IHC senior puisne judge, Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, to IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq.

A three-member bench led by Justice Farooq and comprising Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb and Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir on Saturday unveiled its written order from the last proceedings.

The court order stated that notices had been issued to Advocate Waqas Malik, journalist Matiullah Jan, and Talat Hussain, and the parties are to submit their responses to the court before the next hearing.

The bench also directed the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) to prepare a transcript of Waqas Malik's interviews and submit it to the court before the next hearing.

The court appointed senior journalist Hamid Mir, Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) president, senior lawyer Ahmer Bilal Soofi, and Syed Ahmed Hassan Shah as amici curiae. The next hearing for the contempt of court case is scheduled for May 30.

On May 7, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani wrote a letter to Justice Aamer Farooq seeking contempt of court action over an ongoing social media campaign against him.

Earlier, IHC’s Justice Babar Sattar had also written a similar letter to the high court’s chief justice, informing him about a malicious social media campaign targeting him.

According to sources, Justice Kayani in his letter highlighted the importance of urgently taking action against the individuals responsible for spreading misinformation about him and engaging in activities maligning the court.

On April 28, the IHC issued a statement denouncing the online campaign against Justice Sattar regarding his alleged dual nationality.

The IHC clarified that Justice Sattar was granted a permanent resident card (Green Card) by the US due to his exceptional abilities after residing and working there.

It further stated that the judge left his US employment in 2005 and returned to Pakistan, where he has resided and worked since.

The IHC statement also mentioned that confidential information about Justice Sattar, including travel documents of the judge, his wife, and children, along with unfounded and malicious allegations, had been widely circulated on social media.

“Before his appointment as an IHC judge, Justice Sattar had informed the chief justice of Islamabad High Court that he was a Pakistani national and held a Green Card allowing visa-free travel to the US.”

The statement further clarified that Justice Sattar’s wife and children held dual citizenship of Pakistan and the US.

“They resided in the US until 2021 but returned to Pakistan after Justice Babar Sattar’s appointment as an IHC judge and now reside in Islamabad,” it read.

Both Justices Kayani and Sattar were among the six IHC judges who, in March this year, reached out to the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) seeking clarity on the alleged intrusion of executive members, including intelligence operatives, in judicial matters.