Islamabad-Ramana police have booked the son of slain Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) special prosecutor, Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali, for producing and later feeding a fabricated and forged document to the journalists for publication of a news story which ‘tarnished the image of the judiciary’.
The case was registered on February 7, 2017 on the complaint of Assistant Registrar (Criminal), Islamabad High Court (IHC). According to the application submitted by the Assistant Registrar, Muhammad Asad, to the Ramana police on February 23, 2017, two English language newspapers daily Dawn and daily Express Tribune published a news item that was false and fabricated and aimed at bringing disrespect, dishonor and disgrace to the judiciary. “Upon inquiry, it was revealed that the said news items were published on the basis of a court order produced to the reporters of the said dailies by one Ch. Nisar Ali son of Ch. Zulfiqar Ali, which was a fabricated and forged document as no such order was passed by the court as per case file. The offender has not only made an attempt to tarnish the image of judiciary but also prepared a false document and used it as genuine,” said the application.
The news items separately published in the two dailies on February 23, 2017 suggest that the judge of an Islamabad anti-terrorism court (ATC) had, a day earlier, tendered an unconditional apology for being “rude” to the litigant, Ch. Nisar Ali son of Ch. Zulfiqar Ali, slain FIA special prosecutor. The news items, which the IHC Assistant Registrar termed fabricated and false, said that ATC Judge Syed Kausar Abbas Zaidi was summoned by the IHC while the court was hearing a petition filed by the son of FIA special prosecutor, Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali, who was murdered on May 3, 2013, while traveling to a Rawalpindi ATC to submit a list of charges against former president retired Gen Pervez Musharraf in the Benazir Bhutto murder case.
IHC Chief Justice Mohammad Anwar Khan Kasi and Justice Aamer Farooq had summoned Zaidi in the first week of February after the petitioner (Ch. Nisar Ali) alleged in the application that the judge made “uncalled-for remarks, besides threats of dire consequences”. Ch. Nisar Ali had alleged that Zaidi had threatened him with dire consequences for approaching the IHC against him. Ch. Nisar Ali and his counsel then asked the IHC to act against the ATC judge for making such remarks.
It is to mention here that on Dec 22, 2016, the IHC division bench had ordered the ATC to ensure the trial concludes within the stipulated three-month period, as the suspects had not even been indicted despite a passage of four years. Ch. Nisar Ali told the IHC that on Jan 31, when he and his counsel urged the court to comply with the IHC’s order for the trial to be expedited, the judge threatened them with dire consequences for approaching the IHC against him. The accused fed the reporters that the Zaidi had apologised for being rude to him during the proceedings, which was factually incorrect. The accused has been booked under section 466, 471, 420, 474, 469, 468 of the PPC and further investigation is underway. The police have taken three days remand of the accused.
Meanwhile, a total of 773 policemen along with Frontier Constabulary (FC) personnel will perform security duties for polio teams during the anti-polio drive in Islamabad, said the police.
The police have devised a comprehensive security plan for the purpose while all Zonal SPs would themselves supervise security duties in their respective areas.
SDPOs and SHOs will maintain complete coordination with doctors and staff of polio teams and every necessary step will be ensured for their fool-proof security. As a part of the security plan, Rangers and police vehicles will keep patrolling in various areas while staff of ‘Eagle Squad’ and ‘Falcon Squad’ will remain alert to counter any untoward situation. Police and security personnel would have necessary weapons and ammunition for security of the polio teams. SSP Islamabad has directed all police officials to brief staff deputed for security duties of polio teams.