On April 18, the ex-army chief had escaped from the court premises after IHC had rejected his bail plea. PHOTO: FILE
The capital’s high court on Monday summoned the interior secretary to explain what steps have been taken to initiate action against Islamabad Inspector General of Police (IGP) Bani Amin Khan for failing to arrest former president Gen. (retd) Musharraf along with a progress report.
During Monday’s proceedings when the Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) Justice Siddiqui resumed hearing of the case, the deputy attorney general (DAG) informed the court that the additional secretary could not come in because he had to appear before the Supreme Court. But Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui took this as a sign for deliberately prolonging the matter and asked the DAG if there was no other secretary in the interior ministry.
The court observed that prima facie this was an attempt to violate the court order and directed the secretary interior to appear in person.
The apex court had also directed the interior ministry to initiate an inquiry against Khan after he appealed against the IHC’s decision and disposed of the case. On the last date of hearing, Khushdil Khan Malik, the interior joint secretary, had informed the IHC that he had been transferred after he refused to follow illegal orders. He had said he had recommended disciplinary action against the IGP and suggested that the matter be referred to the establishment division, but the ministry had posted him out.
On April 18, the ex-army chief had escaped from the court premises after IHC had rejected his bail plea. The court had held the Islamabad IGP responsible and had directed the interior ministry to initiate an inquiry against him.
Petition filed to register FIR against Musharraf
In a separate case, in an attempt to implicate ex-president Musharraf in the death of former Lal Masjid deputy cleric Ghazi Abdul Rashid, his son Haroon Rashid filed a petition in the IHC on Monday seeking the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) against him. Hundreds of civilians including students were killed in the stand-off between the military and armed militants.
Justice Noorul Haq Qureshi will take up the matter on Tuesday (today). On April 23, Additional Sessions Judge Rafaqat Ahmed Awan had rejected the application stating the petition was filed to gain “cheap popularity.” While challenging the trial court’s order, the petitioner approached IHC to register an FIR against the ex-army chief. Aabpara station house officer has also been named as a respondent.
The petitioner maintained that he had lost his father but the trial court had observed the petition was filed to get “cheap popularity” which was unfair.
He maintained that over 400 witnesses had recorded their statements before the Lal Masjid Commission pointing fingers at former president Musharraf, former prime minister Shaukat Aziz and his cabinet for launching the operation.
He contended that victims’ families had approached the concerned police station, but they refused to lodge an FIR against Musharraf. He requested the court to accept his petition and register a case against him.
In the last week of April, the apex court made the Lal Masjid Commission report public.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 7th, 2013.
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