Tag: IHC

  • PTI’s Shahzad Akbar leaves for Dubai after name removed from ‘no-fly list’

    PTI’s Shahzad Akbar leaves for Dubai after name removed from ‘no-fly list’

    Special Assistant to former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on Accountability and Interior Shahzad Akbar left for Dubai on Sunday after his name was removed from the FIA’s ‘stop-list’ on the order of the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

    According to Express Tribune, Akhbar departed via Islamabad International Airport for Dubai on an international airline at 3:30 am, from where he is expected to depart for the United Kingdom (UK).

    Last week, the FIA had put names of four Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) members including former aides — Shahzad Akbar and Shahbaz Gill on “no-fly list.”

    However, on April 12 the Islamabad High Court suspended the notification. IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah remarked that the court has already declared the blacklist illegal.

    He said, “We have already issued a verdict that no one’s name can be placed on this list.”

    IHC also suspended the ban on three other persons— former principal secretary Azam Khan, Khan’s ex-focal person on Digital Media Dr Arslan Khalid and Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment Chairman Mohammad Nafees Gohar.

  • ‘Can anyone disappear without the govt’s will?’ IHC questions state of enforced disappearances

    ‘Can anyone disappear without the govt’s will?’ IHC questions state of enforced disappearances

    During a case hearing of missing Lahore journalist, Mudassar Naro at Islamabad High Court (IHC), Chief Justice (CJ) Athar Minallah said that enforced disappearances are ‘treason’.

    He said that such disappearances are not acceptable in a country that follows the Constitution. In the hearing, the additional attorney-general and judicial assistant appeared before the court.

    “Can anyone be disappeared without federal and provincial governments will? No,” the judge said. The judge then said that sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act are applied in such cases.

    The CJ asked if the inability to recover Naro is the failure of state agencies. He added that both governments should have looked into this matter.

    According to Geo News, Mudassar Naro has been missing since August 20, 2018. The disappearance occurred when he went to the northern areas with his wife and child. His wife and child returned but Naro has been missing ever since.

    His activist wife Saddaf Chughtai passed away last year due to a sudden cardiac arrest, leaving behind their four-year-old son.

    The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has shown serious concern over the situation. They have also called upon Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan and Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari to look into the case. However, after almost four years since his disappearance, his recovery hasn’t been made yet.

  • Supreme Court orders to open Monal restaurant in Islamabad

    Supreme Court orders to open Monal restaurant in Islamabad

    The Supreme Court of Pakistan has ordered to reopen Monal restaurant in Islamabad and suspended the previous order by the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

    At the hearing on Tuesday, Judge Mazahir Naqvi suspended the IHC order which was issued to close down the popular eatery spot.

    The judge asked angrily, “What is this monarchy?”

    “How can the orders be implemented before the documents were even signed,” he asked.

    The restaurant lawyer, Makhdoom Ali Khan, raised the point in the last hearing that the eatery spot was closed down before written documents were issued by the high court.

    He argued that the legal dispute between the Monal and Capital Development Authority (CDA) is still ongoing in civil court.

    He continued that the IHC announced the verdict without recording evidence. Monal restaurant was not even involved as a party in the case.

    On January 11, IHC ordered Islamabad’s Chief Commissioner to seal the Monal Restaurant in Margalla Hills National Park and Navy Golf Course after hearing a case against encroachments.

  • ‘Seems like PM Khan was not assisted correctly over PECA Ordinance’: Justice Minallah

    During the hearing of a plea challenging the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) PECA Ordinance, 2022, Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Athar Minallah reportedly issued a notice to the attorney-general of Pakistan and directed him to combine this petition with other petitions that are against PECA.

    Justice Minallah said that it seems like no one told the premier that there are laws for contempt other than PECA. He was referring to Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s address yesterday. “It seems like PM Khan was not assisted correctly over PECA Ordinance,” said Justice Minallah, adding that the law is used against critics here.

    The plea was filed by former president of Lahore High Court (LHC) Bar Maqsood Buttar. In the petition, it was argued that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) doesn’t have the authority to deal with a matter between two private parties.

    Previously, the IHC chief called the amendment “draconian in nature”. He said it is even worse than the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) law.

    Last month, President Arif Alvi passed an Ordinance amending PECA 2016, an attempt to make online “defamation” of authorities, including the military and judiciary, a criminal offence with harsh penalties.

    The high court adjourned the hearing till March 10.

  • NAB writes to DC Lahore to sell Ishaq Dar’s house worth millions

    NAB writes to DC Lahore to sell Ishaq Dar’s house worth millions

    The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has issued a letter to Deputy Commissioner (DC) Lahore to sell Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Ishaq Dar’s house in Gulberg, estimated to be worth millions of rupees, reports Geo News.

    Dar’s wife, Tabassum, had reportedly approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against the decision. Her lawyer argued that the house belongs to Tabassum. It was given to her on February 14,1989, and Lahore’s accountability court issued an order without investigating the matter.

    However, the high court rejected her plea. Earlier, the bureau had withdrawn Rs500 million from the former finance minister’s bank account and deposited it with the national treasury in a corruption reference against him. He was also declared an absconder in the case.

    Dar had earlier expressed his willingness to take his oath to Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani as a member of the Senate “virtually” from the United Kingdom (UK) as he can’t come back to Pakistan due to his illness.

    However, Sanjrani declined Dar’s request to be administered oath as a senator either virtually or through the Pakistan High Commission in London, declaring that the Constitution and the rules do not allow him to do so.

  • ‘PM Khan is a predator of free speech’: Pakistanis denounce PECA Ordinance

    ‘PM Khan is a predator of free speech’: Pakistanis denounce PECA Ordinance

    Since the promulgation of the Ordinance amending the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016 by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, the law has been receiving a lot of criticism from the Opposition, civil society, journalists and even government allies.

    In a joint statement, the Opposition termed PECA “fascist and dictatorship”. The statement was released after a meeting between Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leadership, reports Geo News.

    Leader of the Opposition Shehbaz Sharif took to Twitter and said, “So-called ‘defamation’ amendment to PECA, promulgated by presidential ordinance, shows the real fascist face of the ruling clique.”

    PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto- Zardari said that freedom of expression and press is being muzzled under the guise of preventing false news. “Khan Sahib himself is the biggest leader of fake news mafia in Pakistan,” said Bilawal.

    PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz was of the view that PECA is going to be used against the government.

    While condemning the Ordinance, PPP’s Senator Sherry Rehman said that such laws are unacceptable.

    Lawyer Reema Omer tweeted, “With PECA Ordinance, PM Imran Khan has proven yet again that he is a predator of free speech.”

    However, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) restrained the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) from making arrests under Section 20 of PECA despite its promulgation by President Arif Alvi on Sunday, reports Dawn.

    Federal Minister of Information Technology and Telecommunication Amin Ul Haque has written to Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, urging him to either withdraw or review the Ordinance.

  • Mohsin Baig case: Court says FIA misused its power, issues show-cause notice

    Mohsin Baig case: Court says FIA misused its power, issues show-cause notice

    Islamabad High Court (IHC) issued show-cause notice to the Director of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) cybercrime wing, Babar Bakht Qureshi, on Monday for misusing FIA’s powers in the arrest case of journalist Mohsin Jamil Baig.

    The FIA cybercrime wing and the police arrested and raided Daily Jinnah and Online news agency Editor Mohsin Baig’s house. He was accused of initiating a debate on News One’s programme ‘G for Gharidah’. He made some controversial references towards Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan and Minister for Communication Murad Saeed.

    IHC Chief Justice (CJ) Athar Minallah asked, “Why should we not register contempt of court case against the FIA? Do they think they are above the law?”

    During the hearing, Justice Minallah grilled the FIA director, reminding him that the court had told the agency to not make arrests. “This court will take action against you. Your job is to protect people and not to restore the reputation of an elite person.”

    Justice Minallah also posed some questions related to the arrest. He asked Qureshi that when there were four people in the programme, why only Baig was arrested.

    Justice Minallah further said that the agency has always abused its authority, adding that the court will not allow the FIA to infringe on anyone’s fundamental rights.

    When asked about PM Khan’s ex-wife Reham Khan’s book and which reference was given by Baig in the show. Additional Attorney General Qasim Wadood, who was present before the court, replied that he had not read the book.

    “Does everyone know what is written in the book?”, CJ asked.

    Justice Minallah said that this court has repeatedly said that you should be careful but the message being given is that there is no freedom of expression.

    However, the Director of FIA continued his argument that the reference to the book is defamatory and added, “We must discourage obscenity.”

    CJ Minallah stated that the biggest obscenity is not respecting the constitution, adding that prohibition is an abuse of power.

    Responding to contempt of court notice, Quershi pleaded to the CJ, saying we are like your children, have mercy. To which the CJ responded, “You are not my child and I am not your father.”

    Subsequently, the hearing was adjourned and Justice Minallah asked Qureshi to submit his response. The court also summoned Attorney General Khalid Javed Khan in the next hearing on February 24. Previously, an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) approved the three-day remand of journalist Mohsin Baig.

  • Monal restaurant management breaks closure seal to enter premises

    Monal restaurant management breaks closure seal to enter premises

    Monal, a restaurant in Islamabad, which was sealed through a court order, was broken into on Wednesday. Management of the restaurant, which included 70-80 employees, broke a padlock seal and entered the premises of the site on February 16, reports Samaa News.

    Employees reached the site in the morning and asked the Wildlife department workers not to intervene.

    While talking to Samaa News, a Wildlife management board representative, monitoring the closure, said, “They told us that the Supreme Court has ruled in favour of the restaurant and allowed them to resume activities.”

    The authorities asked restaurant employees to produce a court order but they refused and broke the padlock seal into pieces.

    After breaking into the restaurant, employees started adjusting seats and tables.

    According to the representative, they had never stopped the restaurant staff to look after their items which were left there and we cooperated with them fully.

    On January 11, Islamabad High Court (IHC) ordered Islamabad’s Chief Commissioner to seal the Monal Restaurant in Margalla Hills National Park.

  • Court reserves decision on PTI’s Faisal Vawda’s appeal against lifetime disqualification

    Court reserves decision on PTI’s Faisal Vawda’s appeal against lifetime disqualification

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) reserved its decision on the maintainability of an application filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Faisal Vawda against his lifetime disqualification from parliament, reports Dawn.

    Last week, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) disqualified Vawda as a Member of the National Assembly (MNA) and ordered him to withdraw the notification appointing him as senator for concealing his dual nationality.

    Later, the PTI leader approached the IHC. In his appeal, he stated that Section 8C of the Elections Act, 2017 allowed the ECP to conduct an election but did not empower it to disqualify a candidate. According to him, the commission was directed by the court to “probe the issue of falsity or otherwise of the affidavit expeditiously as per a judgment of the Supreme Court (SC)”.

    The commission said Vawda had submitted a “false affidavit” when submitting nomination papers. However, Vawda’s lawyer, Wasim Sajjad argued in the court that his client [Vawda] did not submit a false affidavit.

    Sajjad maintained that Vawda cancelled his United States (US) passport and acquired a certificate from the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) and said that he [Vawda] is only a Pakistani citizen.

    Vawda secured the National Assembly seat (NA-249) in July 2018 and got elected as a Senator last year.

    As per the commission, Vawda can approach the Supreme Court (SC) against its verdict.

  • Court allows PML-N’s Khawaja Asif to cross-examine PM Khan

    Court allows PML-N’s Khawaja Asif to cross-examine PM Khan

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has allowed Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Khawaja Asif to cross-examine Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan with reference to the premier’s defamation case against him.

    During the hearing, headed by IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah, the civil court directed to conclude the proceedings within two months, states Dawn.

    Barrister Haider Rasool, the counsel for Asif argued that since 2012 his client had sought adjournment 28 times while the court adjourned the proceedings on PM’s request on nearly 50 occasions.

    The court observed that it was the defendant’s [Khawaja] right to cross-examine the PM.

    Earlier this year, the high court had sought a reply from the premier.

    Back in 2012, the premier had filed the defamation suit against Asif for recovery of Rs10 billion as the latter at a press conference levelled allegations about misappropriation of funds and money laundering through the Shaukat Khanam funds.