ISLAMABAD - The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Thursday indicted Deputy Commissioner (DC) Irfan Nawaz Memon, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP Operations) Jameel Zafar and two others in a contempt case related to prolonged detention of PTI leaders Shehryar Khan Afridi and Shandana Gulzar under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance.
A single bench of IHC comprising Justice Babar Sattar conducted hearing of the case and also indicted SP Farooq Buttar and Station House Officer (SHO) of Margalla Police Station Nasir Manzoor in the same case.
Justice Sattar started the contempt of court proceedings against the DC Islamabad and SSP Operations ICT with regard to abuse of authority in issuance of detention orders against Shehryar Khan Afridi and Shandana Gulzar. During the hearing, DC Islamabad Irfan Nawaz Memon and SSP Operations Jameel Zafar submitted their written clarification into the case and extended unconditional apology. Advocate General Ayaz Shaukat also opposed the indicting of the officials and prayed the bench not to indict them as the officers have extended an unconditional apology. At this, Justice Sattar asked that how can we not indict them, the matter of contempt of court was under way here yet the DC issued another MPO order. Addressing the officials, he said that you would be sent to jail if you were convicted. He remarked that it is a six-month sentence wherein you may also live in jail and see how those who you sent to jail live there. He also remarked that the court had fixed this date to frame the charges against the officers. Then, the DC said that the purpose of his order was not to violate the court order at all and extended an unconditional apology to the court, which was rejected. Later, the IHC bench read out the indictment order against the officers. However, the accused denied the charges against them. Justice Babar Sattar said that the charge sheet had been read against the accused in open court and now they could legally defend their case during the trial.
