Supreme Court of Pakistan issued notices to Secretary Interior, Secretary Law
and Secretary Information and Broadcasting and summoned them on June 20
with detailed reply in the filed plea for formation of commission to
probe the murder of journalist Saleem Shahzad.
PFUJ in its petition filed under Article 184 (3) of the Constitution
named the federation as respondent and prayed for an order for the
constitution of a high-powered enquiry commission headed by a Supreme
Court Judge.
The lawyers of the journalists argues in the court that this matter
is about a secret agency and apparently, investigation is not going in
the right direction and in the reply court summoned reply from
Interior, Law and Information and Broadcasting secretaries.
The initial hearing of the case by a three-member bench of the
Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar
Muhammad Chaudhry was held on Friday.
Justice Tariq Pervaiz and Justice Amir Hani were the other members of the bench.
Justice Tariq Pervaiz and Justice Amir Hani were the other members of the bench.
CJ said in his remarks during the course of hearing that this matter
is not about the murder of journalist but it is matter of human rights
and he further stated that legal requirements were not fulfilled in the
appointment of Justice Saqib Nisar in the commission, adding that
appointment without permission of the CJ is against the freedom of
judiciary.
Chief justice asked Asma Jehanagir weather the FIR of the case was
registered, she said that the FIR of the case has been registered in
Islamabad; weather the investigatiosn are being done by the Punjab
police; meanwhile Asma reveled in the court that record of 15 last days
of Saleem Shahzad’s cell phone was erased.
The Court ordered IG Islamabad and DPO Mandi Bahuddin to submit the
report of investigations and court issued notices to Attorney General
Justice Moulvi Anwarul Haq and Advocate General Punjab Khawja Muhammad
Haris to assist the court regarding the case.
Talking to media persons after hearing Asima Jehanagir said that
record of Saleem Shahzad’s cell was erased, which created the doubts
and only one agency has the record of cell phones, adding that law is
present and Chief Justice can summoned ISI Chief and she said that
democratic institutions guarantee the human rights.
Senior lawyer Munir Malik said that government constituted
commission is against the freedom of judiciary, as it was constituted
without consulting the chief justice of Pakistan.
President PFUJ Pervaz Shaukat said it is responsibility of the
government to provide security to journalists and citizens of the
country and they wanted justice whatever government or judiciary
provide and he thanked the CJ for hearing the case on priority basis.
The court would start further hearing of case from June 20 on daily basis. SANA
