ISLAMABAD - The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Tuesday directed the inspector general of police for the third time to register an FIR against the former CIA station chief in the capital, Jonathan Banks, and former CIA General Counsel John A Rizzo, in a drone attack case.
Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui of the IHC issued these directions to Islamabad IGP Tahir Alam Khan while hearing a contempt of court matter pertaining to an IHC order dated June 05, 2014. The court had directed Secretariat police station to register an FIR against the former CIA officials for their alleged involvement in drone attacks in tribal areas of Pakistan.
In this particular matter, a North Waziristan resident, Kareem Khan, whose brother and a son were killed in a drone strike in 2009 in North Waziristan had approached the IHC for registration of a case against the CIA officials.
Kareem Khan, through his lawyer Mirza Shehzad Akbar advocate, moved a contempt of court petition when the Islamabad police did not register an FIR.
On Tuesday, the IHC single bench directed the IGP to register a case and submit compliance report through the court registrar within two days.
During the hearing, the IGP requested the court to hear him in the chamber as he wanted to give a briefing on the sensitive points of the case. The IHC bench accepted the request and also asked the counsel for the petitioner, Mirza Shahzad Akbar, to be present during the proceedings.
Talking to The Nation about in-camera proceedings, the counsel for the petitioner said the IGP explained that the government was reluctant to register an FIR against the CIA officials because such an act could possibly jeopardise relations between Pakistan and the United States.
However, the IHC bench turned down the IGP’s request and directed him to comply with the court orders.
Kareem Khan, the petitioner, a native of Machi Khel, Mir Ali of North Waziristan, filed an application for the registration of an FIR with the Secretariat police of Islamabad in 2010. The police refused to lodge the FIR. Kareem Khan filed a case under Section 22-A with the civil court of Islamabad, praying that the police be directed to register the FIR.
A civil judge of Islamabad dismissed the application in December 2013, on the ground of lack of jurisdiction. He then filed an appeal with the IHC which directed the police to register the case on June 5, 2014.