FIR over drone strike: Court summons IGP

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday summoned the capital IGP in person over a contempt petition against a Secretariat police officer for not registering a case against former CIA station chief Jonathan Banks and former CIA general counsel John A Rizzo for their alleged role in a surgical strike that killed the family members of an anti-drone activist.

Justice Shaukat Siddiqui directed IGP Tahir Alam Khan to appear before the court on February 9 in response to a contempt application filed by Kareem Khan, an anti-drone activist, who allegedly lost his son in a drone strike.

On June 5, 2014 the same bench had directed the Secretariat police to register an FIR against Banks and Rizzo.

On Monday, the petitioner’s counsel filed an application requesting the court to start contempt of court proceedings against the officers for not complying with court orders. The petitioner’s counsel, Shehzad Akbar, said despite the court order, police has yet to register an FIR which is contempt of court. During the hearing, the Secretariat SHO said the Islamabad chief commissioner had written a letter to the Fata Secretariat seeking their advice over the issue. The secretariat had responded that currently a military operation is under way in Fata and after its completion the matter will be taken up. However, Justice Siddiqui expressed dissatisfaction and directed the IGP to explain why court orders were not followed.

Kareem Khan, a resident of North Waziristan, reportedly lost his teenage son, Zahinullah, and brother Asif Iqbal in a drone strike on December 31, 2009.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 3^rd, 2015.