Islamabad court dismisses petition seeking Mansoor Ijaz's arrest
Court says Ijaz could not be arrested by Pakistani authorities until he violates any law in Pakistan.
ISLAMABAD:
An Islamabad Court on Wednesday dismissed the petition filed calling for the arrest of Mansoor Ijaz, the central player of the Memogate scandal.
The Islamabad District Court in its verdict said that Ijaz, being an American national, could not be arrested by Pakistani authorities until he violates any law in Pakistan.
District Court Judge Wajahat Hussain reserved the judgment after hearing arguments of the petitioner’s counsel, Raja Israr Ahmed Abbasi.
Abbasi had told the court that Ijaz was a ‘secret agent’ trying to destabilise the democratic government by publishing ‘fake’ and ‘baseless’ memo-related documents.
Abbasi had said that in addition to the memo, Ijaz’s statements, articles and analysis published in the international media were sufficient enough to charge him with offences of sections 153-A, 177, 197, 199, 200, 468, 471 and 505 of the Pakistani Penal Code (PPC).
Abbasi added that he should be immediately arrested upon arrival in Pakistan.
However, the judicial commission probing the Memogate case had earlier told the court that a case filed against Ijaz was not maintainable and said that it was the petitioner, Khalid Jameel Sati's, an activist associated with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), attempt to get “cheap publicity”.
The police also refused to register an FIR against Ijaz upon Sati’s request.
Additionally, the judicial commission had earlier ensured Attorney General Maulvi Anwarul Haq that a case cannot be registered against Ijaz as long as he’s not present in Pakistan.
It had earlier been reported that the court would release it by 1pm.
An Islamabad Court on Wednesday dismissed the petition filed calling for the arrest of Mansoor Ijaz, the central player of the Memogate scandal.
The Islamabad District Court in its verdict said that Ijaz, being an American national, could not be arrested by Pakistani authorities until he violates any law in Pakistan.
District Court Judge Wajahat Hussain reserved the judgment after hearing arguments of the petitioner’s counsel, Raja Israr Ahmed Abbasi.
Abbasi had told the court that Ijaz was a ‘secret agent’ trying to destabilise the democratic government by publishing ‘fake’ and ‘baseless’ memo-related documents.
Abbasi had said that in addition to the memo, Ijaz’s statements, articles and analysis published in the international media were sufficient enough to charge him with offences of sections 153-A, 177, 197, 199, 200, 468, 471 and 505 of the Pakistani Penal Code (PPC).
Abbasi added that he should be immediately arrested upon arrival in Pakistan.
However, the judicial commission probing the Memogate case had earlier told the court that a case filed against Ijaz was not maintainable and said that it was the petitioner, Khalid Jameel Sati's, an activist associated with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), attempt to get “cheap publicity”.
The police also refused to register an FIR against Ijaz upon Sati’s request.
Additionally, the judicial commission had earlier ensured Attorney General Maulvi Anwarul Haq that a case cannot be registered against Ijaz as long as he’s not present in Pakistan.
It had earlier been reported that the court would release it by 1pm.