The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday directed the authorities not to intimidate Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry, as well as other leaders in connection with a number of accusations of blasphemy filed on them by government officials in connection with violence perpetrated by unknown people at Masjid-e-Nabwi this week.
The IHC instructed the interior secretary to ensure it was certain that they ensured that the PTI head wasn’t targeted either by police officers or other agency of investigation. The court also prevented authorities from taking any further steps on the PTI leader until the next hearing in the case. The court also gave copies of the ruling for Secretary of State for the National Assembly Secretariat.
In this hearing Justice Athar Minallah asked whether Fawad was still a part in the National Assembly. The lawyer for Fawad Faisal Chaudhry replied that Fawad was a member of the National Assembly but wasn’t informed.
IHC CJ Minallah said the police were not able to detain a legislator without the approval of the speaker.
In a statement on a number of cases involving PTI officials, Chaudhry said as per an order of a seven-member court, the police cannot make multiple FIRs about one incident. The incident took place in Masjid-e-Nabwi, Saudi Arabia, however FIRs were also registered in Pakistan.
The CJ declared that the court would issue instructions regarding the Islamabad police which fell under the authority of this court.
In addition the IHC also prevented the government from detaining Shahbaz Gill upon his return to his trip to the United States. Gill is expected to be back in Pakistan in May 4, according to according to his lawyer.
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The attorney representing Gill claimed there was evidence that government officials had brought lawsuits against him to settle political disputes. In the plea agreement, Gill had said he was “falsely involved in the FIR, in order to pressurize, harass blackmail, humiliate, and pressurize” him.
The day before earlier in the day, earlier in the day, PTI submitted a petition to the IHC asking the court in order to end “harassment” by state authorities following the filing of numerous instances against PTI the leadership and chairman Imran Khan.
The FIRs were filed on Sunday by former PM Imran and the other prominent officials of the party from Faisalabad as well as other cities in Punjab in connection with their involvement in the incident at Masjid-e-Nabwi in which some Pakistani worshippers chanted slogans in support of the new government and mocked the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as well as the federal ministers.
The petition, filed by PTI Fawad Chaudhry, the PTI’s senior leader, asked the court to give directions to state officials, including police, as well as the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for them to “immediately end the unlawful and unlawful intimidation of the petitioner as well as his coworkers”.
It also requested the inclusion on file all FIRs that were registered in different regions of the country against the petitioner as well as others regarding the an alleged blasphemy incident at Masjid-e-Nabwi. The petitioner pleaded with the high court to prevent both the police as well as FIA of “violating and disgracefully affecting the privacy, honor and dignity of the families and the homes of the petitioner, and to protect the dignity of the petitioner’s family and household”.
The authorities must inform “the petitioner about the grounds and the reasons behind the filing of criminal cases against them, so that they can ensure his right to seek advice and defend by a legal professional of his preference. Further, they should be able to satisfy this august court prior to filing any legal suit on behalf of the petitioner”.
The plea of Fawad stated that the FIRs filed against the PTI leadership were in violation of article 4 (Right of individuals to be treated according to law) as well as Article 5 (loyalty to the state) as well as Article 17 (freedom of association) and Article 19 19-A (right to be informed) as well as Article 68 , which is part of the Constitution.
The Interior secretary the Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, the police chiefs from all provinces, and Director General of the FIA director general are all named respondents to the petition that called the move towards PTI members “mala real”.
