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Asad Toor case: CJP annoyed with FIA for using SC’s name


Asad Toor case

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa has expressed his severe displeasure during the hearing of a case against the harassment of journalists.

A three-member bench headed by the chief justice heard the case against the issuance of notices to journalists and their harassment by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

During the hearing, the chief justice expressed intense annoyance at the Islamabad police inspector-general, questioning why certain culprits haven’t been traced despite the existence of a crime recording.

Addressing the Attorney General for Pakistan, he remarked, “What kind of IG is this? This IG should be removed; it’s been four years, do you need four centuries?”

The chief justice told the Islamabad police IG that the entire country was watching his performance, suggesting that the IG’s behaviour seemed to be facilitating the wrongdoers, implying violence against journalists, abductions, and malfunctioning of Islamabad Safe City cameras.

During the hearing, Barrister Salahuddin informed the court that Asad Toor was currently in jail, to which the chief justice asked why Asad Toor was in jail. Barrister Salahuddin replied that there was an FIR registered against Asad Toor.

The chief justice noted that serious charges have been imposed in the case against Asad Toor, and inclusion of sections of sensitive information, questioning the applicability of such charges.

The chief justice said that the inquiry notice stated that Asad Toor was being summoned for running a campaign against the judiciary, while the FIR did not even mention such thing and that this was like shooting off your gun off the judiciary’s shoulder.

Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa suggested issuing a contempt of court notice to the FIA, noting that no judge or registrar of the Supreme Court had complained to the FIA against Asad Toor and the use of the Supreme Court’s name gave the impression that the judiciary had ordered the action, which could tarnish the judiciary’s image among the public.

The chief justice questioned whether they could now proceed against the FIA for defaming the judiciary, as the relevant FIA officers themselves were causing the judiciary’s defamation.

He also questioned how an ISI representative could be part of the JIT, stating that ISI was an intelligence agency, not a law enforcement agency, and law enforcement was not within ISI’s jurisdiction.

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