SC bars IHC from further proceedings in audio leaks case
- Suspends the Islamabad High Court's orders
The Supreme Court suspended Monday the Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) orders in the audio leaks case and also barred the IHC from taking any further action, Aaj News reported.
The case is related to Bushra Bibi, wife of former premier Imran Khan, and Najam Saqib, the son of former chief justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar.
A two-member bench comprising Justice Aminuddin Khan and Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan said, “The IHC’s orders of May 29 and June 25 are beyond its authority. The court is not authorised to take suo moto notices.”
Moreover, the SC issued notices to Bushra and Najam and also sought records of the audio leaks case at the request of the federal government.
On May 29, IHC Justice Babar Sattar dismissed pleas filed by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) seeking his recusal from a case pertaining to audio leaks.
Justice Sattar also imposed fines worth Rs500,000 each on the FIA, PTA and PEMRA.
The court also restrained the telecom companies from recording phone calls and data for surveillance purposes, and said there should be clarity regarding the law authorising the PTA to carry out surveillance activities.
Later, on June 25, the IHC rejected the additional attorney general’s request to hold an in-chamber hearing in the audio leaks case and declared that any action of phone tapping without a legal mechanism was illegal.
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