ISLAMABAD - The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Friday served notices on interior ministry and Islamabad police after Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, former advisor on human rights to former President Asif Ali Zardari, filed a petition seeking protection for himself and his other family members against the threats of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan’s (TTP) extortionists.
A single bench of IHC comprising Justice Noor-ul-Haq N Qureshi issued the notices to the respondents seeking their replies in this matter.
It is pertinent to mention here that Mustafa Khokhar, former deputy secretary information of PPP, was arrested a couple of days ago by industrial area police station of Islamabad for carrying prohibited weapons without permission. Later, he obtained bail from the local court following his arrest in this case.
The petitioner has also attached a threat warning along with his petition. According to him, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) had issued the warning in June last year and the National Crisis Management Cell also circulated the same warning.
He stated that contents of the warning were: “Miscreants affiliated with Qari Sana Ullah aka Qari Mansoor (affiliated with TTP/Jihadi outfits based in Miran Shah) are planning to target following individuals through explosion at their houses/private gathering: Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, Aslam Khaliq, an industrialist living in Faizabad, Atif Kiani, another industrialist living in Fiazabad.”
It was further warned that TTP wanted to target those people because they refused to pay extortion money demanded by Maulvi Khalid or commander Inteqami based in Miran Shah.
The counsel for Khokhar maintained before the court that previously people having the same political background like Shehbaz Taseer and Ali Haider Gillani had been kidnapped by the militants and they were yet to be recovered.
He argued that Khokhar has already informed the respondent authorities regarding serious threats but no step had been taken yet in that regard.
Therefore, he prayed to the court to direct the respondent authorities to provide 24 hours special security cover to the petitioner, his father former deputy speaker National Assembly Haji Nawaz Khokhar, and his two brothers.
After hearing the arguments, the single bench deferred the hearing for further proceedings.