Tag: Islamabad High Court

  • ‘Khan has created hatred among people because of his chor, daku narrative’: Ahsan Iqbal

    ‘Khan has created hatred among people because of his chor, daku narrative’: Ahsan Iqbal

    Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal said that Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, has built up a narrative of chor and daku (thieves and bandits) which has created hatred among the people.

    Talking to Geo News’ programme “Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath” on Wednesday, the minister said that Khan has multiple times raised slogans and accusations of bandits and robbers against him. He said that his reputation was destroyed however after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) ruled in his favour, he is now free of all charges.

    On the show, Iqbal also recalled an incident where PTI supporters harassed him and hurled accusations of ‘chor chor’ (thief) at him. The minister said: “They did it because of Khan’s narrative against me.”

    High Court gives a clean shit to Iqbal

    IHC acquitted Ahsan Iqbal in a reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), accusing Iqbal of misusing authority by funding a provincial government project Narowal Sports City.

    During the hearing on Wednesday, NAB’s Additional Prosecutor General Jahanzeb Khan Bharwana was absent. The court asked the NAB investigator to outline where the alleged corruption had taken place, to which the official said that Bharwana was to present his arguments but he was not present in the court.

    When NAB asked for an adjournment, IHC Chief Justice (CJ) Athar Minallah denied the request.

    It came to light that NAB started the proceedings based on a report published in a newspaper. Justice Minallah then inquired about the newspaper on the basis of which the case was registered. NAB officials identified the paper as Metrowatch.

    The judge further inquired about the details of the newspaper, and what its report stated, and instructed the official to read it out loud.

    “Did the NAB chairman check the accuracy of the facts? A case of corruption related to a public welfare project was started on this basis?” the chief justice questioned incredulously.

    Justice Minallah said that if the case was initiated on the basis of a Metrowatch report then why was the person responsible for restarting the project in 2009 not arrested? He noted that Iqbal was not even a public officeholder at the time.

    Subsequently, the court dismissed the case against Iqbal.

    In 2019, Iqbal was arrested by NAB and remained in custody for two months.

    In April, Iqbal filed a petition in the high court, alleging that NAB had filed the reference against him as part of the then-ruling PTI’s campaign to victimise political opponents.

  • Imran Khan might be in trouble

    Imran Khan might be in trouble

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan will be formally charged with contempt of court on Thursday, September 22, after he failed to submit an unconditional apology in contempt of court proceedings against him for passing controversial remarks against Additional District and Sessions Judge, Zeba Chaudhry.

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) in a circular stated that the proceedings of the case will start at 2:30pm, during which a larger bench of the IHC will frame the charges against Khan.

    “A 15-member legal team of Imran Khan, 15 law officers from the office of the attorney-general and advocate-general will be allowed to enter the courtroom,” read the circular.

    “[The] Islamabad administration and police will make security arrangements to maintain decorum in court,” it added.

    “Imran Khan’s response was unsatisfactory,” said IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah, in the last hearing.

    Justice Minal­lah observed that Khan’s replies to the court’s show-cause notice appeared to be “Justifying contempt of the judiciary” and showed “No remorse or regret”.

    Expressing his disappointment in the response given by Khan to the court, which was the second of its kind, the court asked: “Even after the court’s input on the matter, this is the response submitted?”

    “It seems you want to fight this case […] and do not realise that the case against you is extremely seriously,” noted Justice Minallah.

    Declaring subordinate judiciary a ‘red line’, IHC CJ Minallah warned the PTI chairman that threatening a district judge is a more serious offence than threatsning a Supreme Court justice.

  • High Court orders that terror charges against Imran Khan be dropped

    High Court orders that terror charges against Imran Khan be dropped

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has ordered government authorities to drop terror charges against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in a case pertaining to alleged threats made against police officials and a female judge.

    Khan was booked in a case under the section of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) for threatening remarks against Additional Sessional Judge Zeba Chaudhry and officials of the Islamabad Police during a rally in Islamabad on August 20.

    Earlier, PTI approached the high court to grant Khan transit bail, but at the time the court had directed the former premier to approach an ATC since it was a terror case.

    On September 14, Khan appeared before Islamabad Police’s Joint Investigation Team (JIT) for questioning in connection with a terrorism case registered against him.

    Talking about the case there, he said, “This is a joke in front of the entire world. Why? Because everyone knows me, there have been headlines across the world that an FIR (first information report) has been registered against Imran Khan on terrorism charges.”

    Last week, an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) extended Khan’s interim pre-arrest bail till September 20 in the terrorism case.

    It is pertinent to mention that the PTI chairman, since the registration of the case, has repeatedly been granted bail by the court.

  • Missing person returns home after court warning

    Missing person returns home after court warning

    Haseeb Hamza, who had reportedly gone “missing” in August has been produced before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) by the police, a day after the court issued a strict warning to the police and intelligence agencies to locate him by Wednesday.

    His father, Zulfikar Ali, told the court that his son phoned him in the morning to inform him that he was near the Shifa International Hospital in the capital.

    During the hearing today (Wednesday), IHC Chief Justice (CJ) Athar Justice Minallah asked Haseeb where he had been, to which he replied that he was blindfolded at the time he was taken and had no knowledge of where he was.

    Haseeb’s father had filed a petition in IHC, which stated that on the night between August 22 and August 23, around 20 people — 15 of them in black uniforms — entered his house without a warrant and whisked away his son along with a laptop computer, five mobile phones and some documents.

    After Hamza’s return, Justice Minallah ordered the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to conduct an investigation into the kidnapping case and to submit a report to the registrar of the high court by September 22.

    ’Produce missing person by tomorrow, else intelligence services must appear at court’, Court directs police

    A day earlier, Justice Minallah gave strict orders to find Hamze by 10am tomorrow (Wednesday).

    The court also added that if the person is not produced by tomorrow, sector commanders of Military Intelligence (MI), Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Special Branch and the Intelligence Bureau (IB) must appear before the court.

    His father Zulfikar Ali filed a petition in which he said his son was picked up from their home on August 22. According to him, he filed a First Information Report (FIR) at the time but all in vain.

    Zulfikar had said that his son was a labourer who worked in Layyah in Punjab.

    The IGP duly appeared before the court and confirmed that FIR had been lodged.

    Moreover, the petition said that the police say that Haseeb is with the intelligence agencies.

    Justice Minallah said that under an earlier court verdict IGP and other concerned officials should be held responsible for the disappearance of a citizen.

    Earlier, Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif appeared before IHC and assured the court that all-out efforts will be made to recover missing persons.

    “I cannot say that all of the missing persons will be recovered, but we will leave no stone unturned”, he had promised.

  • PM Shehbaz to leave ‘no stone unturned’ in missing persons case

    PM Shehbaz to leave ‘no stone unturned’ in missing persons case

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif assured the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday, September 9, that all-out efforts will be made to recover missing persons.

    “I cannot say that all of the missing persons will be recovered, but we will leave no stone unturned,” he assured the court “I will not give any lame excuse,” said the premier to the IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah.

    Justice Minallah during the last hearing had instructing PM Shehbaz to ensure that missing persons — whose cases were being heard in the court, had to be produced before IHC on September 9 (today) and warned that the failure to do so would require the premier to appear in person on the said date and give an explanation.

    Justice Minallah stressed that the state’s responsibility should be fulfilled, regretting that in cases where missing persons were recovered, no further action was taken.

    Political leadership has to solve this issue

    “The political leadership has to solve this issue,” he said. “The court has no other way but to only ask the executive [about the issue].”

    Justice Minallah also stressed on the fact that no impression must be created that implies that law enforcement agencies were picking up citizens. The CJ reminded Sharif that national security was his responsibility.

    “This impression affects our national security,” he added. Addressing PM Shehbaz, he continued, “This court trusts you. Give [us] a solution for this [issue].”

    He asked who the court should hold responsible for enforced disappearances.

    PM Shehbaz replied that solving the issue was his duty.

    “Court will hold the chief executive responsible,” Athar Minallah warned, stressing that “people going missing is intolerable.”

    He said no entity was above the Constitution in the country, adding that this court would ensure civil supremacy, as well as the supremacy of the Constitution.

    Making people go missing biggest form of torture

    Justice Minallah then termed the practice of “making people go missing the biggest form of torture” and a “deviation from the Constitution”.

    “This court is a constitutional court … This court will look at the Constitution. There is no bigger issue than this,” he further remarked.

    He asked PM Shehbaz what the court should tell a small child approaching it for justice. “He also met the erstwhile prime minister,” Justice Minallah said, apparently making a reference to missing journalist Mudassar Naru’s son meeting former prime minister Imran Khan in December last year.

    PM Shehbaz told the court that a child of a missing person asked him to reunite him with his father. “His sentence is very disturbing for me,” he said.

    Saying that he was answerable to the courts and the people of the country, he added, “I am not here to play blame games.”

    Require two months to resolve the issue

    Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar then asked the court if he could speak about a few matters.

    In response, the IHC CJ said that he does not want to hear that the government has formed a committee and is probing the case. “I am telling you, no missing persons case should be filed again in this court,” he told the government in no uncertain terms.

    The law minister said that the government was holding meetings in this regard every week and that it required two months to resolve this issue and not a week.

    The court accepted the law minister’s plea to resolve the case within two months, adjourning the case till November 14.

  • Khan files new plea ahead of court hearing in contempt case

    Khan files new plea ahead of court hearing in contempt case

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) is scheduled to resume hearing on Thursday the contempt of court case against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan for threatening a female District and Sessions Judge, Zeba Chaudhry

    A five-member bench headed by IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah will hear the case at 2:30 pm. The PTI chairman will appear before the court in person amid strict security.

    Hours before the proceeding, Khan filed a new plea at the high court. He argued that the high court cannot exercise suo moto jurisdiction as per the Constitution. The arguments on the inadmissibility of the contempt case should be kept on record.

    “The written arguments will also be explained in the oral arguments during the course of the proceedings,” read the plea.

    A day earlier to the proceedings, Khan submitted a fresh response to the contempt of court case, in which in he expressed deep regret for his words.

    In a 19-page-long document, Khan told the court that it should discharge the notice based on his explanation and follow the Islamic principles of forgiveness.

    “That the purpose of the contempt law is not to punish anyone but to uphold the majesty of law. The respondent [Khan] believes in the rule of law and supremacy of the Constitution,” the response said.

    “The respondent takes this opportunity to express his deep regrets over his unintentional utterances during the course of his speech at a rally which was taken out in response to the shocking news of the physical torture of Shahbaz Gill.”

    However, the submitted reply fell short of offering an unconditional apology.

    IHC on August 31 had directed the former prime minister to resubmit his response, giving him seven days to hand in the new draft. During the proceedings, IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah had said he was “disappointed” by the written response submitted by Khan. He asked him to review it and submit it once more.

  • Justice Minallah questions whether Khan will put everything at stake for ‘game of thrones’

    Justice Minallah questions whether Khan will put everything at stake for ‘game of thrones’

    Irked by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s recent remarks about the appointment of a new Chief of Army Staff (COAS), the Chief Justice (CJ) of Islamabad High Court (IHC) Athar Minallah minced no words.

    “Did you hear Imran Khan’s speech from yesterday,” the Chief Justice asked the former prime minister’s lawyer on Monday. “Do political leaders deliver such speeches? Will everything be put at stake just for the sake of “game of thrones’?” The honourable judge asked during the hearing of a petition filed by the PTI against a ban imposed by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) on the live telecast of the speeches of Khan.

    Khan on Sunday said that the government is buying time to “appoint an army chief of their own choice.” He alleged that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-Chairperson Asif Ali Zardari wanted to appoint their favourite as COAS because if a “strong and patriotic army chief” came, they would be questioned about their corruption.

    Read more: ‘Hamari fauj taggri hai’: Shehbaz, Zardari, Shujaat react to Khan’s anti-military remarks

    At today’s hearing, PEMRA’s lawyer informed the court that the regulator issued a show-cause notice to delay the airing of Khan’s live speeches. In response, the IHC CJ asked why the regulator did not ensure that the rule of delaying live speeches was followed.

    The media watchdog’s lawyer said that PEMRA’s orders were not aimed at a particular person.

    The court, addressing PTI’s lawyer, Barrister Ali Zafar, remarked “Let’s not make things difficult as your client also made irresponsible statements.”

    Justice Minallah said that the armed forces personnel were getting martyred “and you [Imran] are bringing their morale down”.

    He also asked the PTI counsel as to why [his party] was harming constitutional institutions. “You will only invite difficulties as a result of your statements,” he observed.

    IHC CJ Minallah said that the armed forces lay their lives for the nation and in case someone is involved in illegal activity, everyone should not be criticised over it.

    “Hold yourself accountable for your actions. You [Khan] want to issue statements as per your wishes and don’t want the regulator to do its job,” the CJ said.

    Meanwhile, the IHC ordered PEMRA to regulate in light of Supreme Court of Pakistan’s verdict and wrapped up Imran Khan’s application.

    On August 29 IHC suspended PEMRA’s recent notification that banned television channels from airing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s live speeches.

    Read more: IK back on live TV: High Court suspends ban on IK’s speeches

    IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah suspended the notification till September 5 after hearing the arguments and issued notices to the regulatory authority and Attorney-General of Pakistan Ashtar Ausaf Ali.

  • Islamabad High Court issues show-cause notice to Khan, summons him on Aug 31

    Islamabad High Court issues show-cause notice to Khan, summons him on Aug 31

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday (August 23) issued a show-cause notice to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and summoned him on August 31 in contempt proceedings for his controversial remarks about Additional District and Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry, who had approved Shahbaz Gill’s physical remand in a sedition case.

    During today’s hearing, Islamabad Advocate General Jahangir Khan Jadoon informed the court that he had filed a miscellaneous application seeking permission to put Imran’s controversial statements against state institutions on record.

    In his application, the advocate general pleaded to the court that he wanted to submit the record of anti-judiciary remarks and speeches made by Imran Khan in the past.

    “I want to put Imran Khan’s video clip on record,” said the applicant.

    “In these circumstances, it is humbly prayed that [the court] allow to display the aforementioned material in this honourable court via USB or other digital gadgets, and consider this material as part of the case,” he said in his application.

    He pleaded with the court to allow the petitioner to play the video showing the anti-judiciary and anti-state institution remarks made by the PTI chairman in the past.

    IHC to initiate contempt proceedings against Imran for controversial remarks regarding sessions judge

    On Monday (August 22), the IHC decided to initiate contempt proceedings against Imran Khan for passing controversial remarks about Judge Zeba Chaudhry.

  • ‘Imran Khan hamaari Red Line’: PTI

    ‘Imran Khan hamaari Red Line’: PTI

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan filed a pre-arrest bail application in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday (August 22) to avoid arrest in a terror case filed against him last night.

    However, Khan has been granted a three day transit bail till August 25.

     PTI lawyer Faisal Chaudhry and Babar Awan filed the plea on Khan’s behalf, who maintained in the plea that the former prime minister is ready to appear before the court whenever summoned.

    “There is no chance of fleeing or damaging evidence presented by the prosecution. Imran Khan is also ready to submit money as surety against his bail,” the plea stated.

    A first information report (FIR) was filed against Khan under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) for threatening a judge and two top police officials during his speech on August 20. 

    “Imran Khan hamaari Red Line”

    “Imran Khan hamaari Red Line” [Imran Khan is our red line] started trending on Twitter after reports of Khan’s likely arrest surfaced on Sunday.

    PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry tweeted that he was at Bani Gala with a number of workers at Khan’s residence.

    Ali Amin Gandapur threatened taking over Islamabad, warning the police not to be a “part of this political war anymore”.

    “If Imran Khan is arrested by the imported government we will take over Islamabad,” he warned. “And my message to the police is that don’t be part of this political war anymore, otherwise we will deal [with] you as PDM workers. Let PTI and PDM leadership and workers fight and decide once and for all.”

    Interior Ministry seeks permission for arrest from PM Shehbaz

    According to The News, the interior ministry has sought written permission from PM Office for the arrest of the PTI chairman. Khan will be arrested with the consensus of all parties in the ruling alliance.

    However, Pakistan People’s Party leader and former president Asif Ali Zardari has opposed the arrest of Imran Khan. He believes that the arrest will be politically damaging for the government.

    Read more: PEMRA imposes ban on live telecast of Imran Khan’s speeches

    Earlier, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) imposed a ban on the live telecast of speeches of PTI Chairman Imran Khan after he threatened the police, bureaucracy, and Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Zeba Chaudhry.

  • Anchorperson Imran Riaz Khan arrested, court summons IG Islamabad at 10am today

    Anchorperson Imran Riaz Khan arrested, court summons IG Islamabad at 10am today

    Anchorperson Imran Riaz Khan was arrested on Tuesday night near Islamabad toll plaza by the Attock police.

    Seventeen treason cases have been registered against Imran Riaz Khan across Punjab, while he was also filing a contempt of court case against the police, reports Dawn.

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry took to Twitter and said that the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has taken notice of the issue and has summoned IG Islamabad at 10am today.

    In a recent video on his Youtube channel, Riaz directly addressed Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa and alleged that he was threatened after asking questions from military sources about the country’s current political and economic situation.

    PTI Chairperson Imran Khan condemned the arrest and tweeted, “The country is descending into fascism just to make our nation accept an Imported Govt comprising of mega crooks. It is time for everyone, esp the media, to unite & stand up against this fascism.”

    PTI Secretary General Asad Umar tweeted, “Expression of opinions are met with counterarguments and not through arrests.”

    Fawad Chaudhry tweeted, “Fascist government in the country is using third-grade tactics to stifle critical voices against it.”

    PTI’s central secretary information Farrukh Habib shared a video of Riaz after being arrested.