File photo of Karim Khan. PHOTO: AFP
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) directed on Tuesday the Secretariat police station to register a case against former CIA station chief Jonathan Banks for his alleged role in a surgical strike that killed the family members of an anti-drone activist.
The court directed Islamabad Police Chief IGP Tahir Alam to register a case against the former CIA official for killing innocent civilians in drone strikes.
Haji Abdul Karim Khan, a native of Mirali, North Waziristan, had requested the court to register an FIR after his relatives, including his son Zahinullah and brother Asif Iqbal, and other civilians were killed in a drone attack in December 31, 2009.
Read: Tribesman submits application to register FIR against CIA station chief
During the last hearing, the IHC had given two weeks to Inspector General (IG) of Islamabad Police to submit a report on the application, seeking registration of a case against a police official for defying court orders.
On Tuesday, IGP Tahir Alam appeared in court and sought more time but the judge ordered him to lodge a murder case against Banks and former CIA general counsel John Rizzo for their alleged role in the attack.
The Islamabad IG, who appeared in court in person, told the bench that the issue was a sensitive one and sought more time to formally register a case against the CIA officials.
In February this year, Karim was ‘picked up’ from his home, days before he was due to testify before the European Parliament. But he was recovered after the Lahore High Court took up the matter of his disappearance.
A previous court order, on June 6, 2014, to register a first information report (FIR) against the former station chief was not complied with.
In October 2014, a high court bench summoned the Secretariat police station house officer (SHO) for not registering a case against Banks.
Read: Drone strikes: SHO summoned for failure to book top American spy
Deputy Attorney General Fazalur Rehman Niazi had, however, opposed the petition by arguing that the area did not fall in the police’s jurisdiction.
Read: Drone strikes: IHC orders police to register case against CIA’s ex-station chief
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