ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday directed the government not to “harass” Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan during the Eid holidays.
The Court order said; “The petitioner shall not be harassed and the respondents shall act in accordance with law.”
A single bench of Chief Justice Aamer Farooq heard the petition of Imran Khan.
He has cited Secretary Interior, Inspector General (IG) Islamabad police and Director General (FIA) as respondents.
The PTI chief moved the petition apprehending that the federal government is planning, a surreptitious operation to arrest him during Eid and sought the court’s direction to IG Islamabad to provide all information regarding any and all secret FIRs registered against him.
He has sought direction to the respondents to provide information regarding the pending cases/FIRs against him.
During the proceeding, Faisal Chaudhry argued that a number of cases are pending and some of them perhaps are not in the knowledge of the petitioner. He further contended that in order to avail appropriate remedy under the law, it is only just and proper that information be provided to the petitioner.
He submitted that the party leadership is afraid that the government will conduct another operation in Zaman Park during the five holidays of Eid.
Justice Aamer said that he can seek the details of the cases but how can he give a blank order? Later, he directed the government not to harass Khan during the Eid holidays and issued notices to the federation, the police and the Federal Investigating Agency (FIA), seeking details of cases against Imran.
The PTI chief’s counsel requested the court to delay the hearing of the case till the end of Eid holidays. The bench accepted the and deferred the hearing of the case till April 27.
Imran Khan stated in the petition that after the regime change, the petitioner has been a constant target of the respondents at the behest of the incumbent PDM government and he has been subjected to illegal and unlawful treatment by the respondents and after the dissolution of the provincial assemblies by the interim governments of Punjab and KPK the situation deteriorated drastically and the petitioner has been nominated in criminal cases almost on a daily basis.
He adopted the stance that the respondents have miserably failed to abide by their legal and constitutional duties and they are impeding the petitioner’s fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution inter alia access to justice, fair trial, freedom of expression and free speech to appease their new owners.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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