CIA issued notice for ‘violation of rules’

IHC sought reply from the CIA over a petition challenging the agency’s authority to arrest people.

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday sought reply from the Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) over a petition challenging the agency’s authority to arrest people.

The petition, filed by Advocate Saleemullah Khan, contends that CIA has no legal power to detain people. Arguing the case, Khan contended that under police rules, the CIA can only investigate and cannot make arrests or recoveries.

However CIA arrests people and obtains remand from area magistrate or judicial officers, he said. Also, as per the rules, the CIA office should be adjacent to the office of the SSP, but the CIA office in Islamabad is located in I-9 whereas the SSP’s office is in F-8.

He presented a list of people who are currently in CIA’s custody and requested the bench to order CIA to hand them over to the police. He also requested the court to pass an order to shift CIA’s office adjacent to the SSP’s office.

The next hearing of the case will be on January 31.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 20^th, 2012.