ISLAMABAD       -       The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Wednesday disposed of a petition of mother of slain journalist Arshad Sharif seeking postmortem report of his son and observed that his murder trial could be held in Pakistan. A single bench of IHC comprising Chief Justice of IHC Justice Aamer Farooq made the observation while hearing Arshad’s mother Riffat Ara Alvi petition against the delay in providing his family the post-mortem report. During hearing, the deputy attorney general informed the bench that the report has now been provided to the journalist’s mother. Barrister Shoaib Razzaq appeared before the court on behalf of Ara and stated that the post-mortem report was given to her on Sunday. In response to a question of the IHC Chief Justice about the developments in the case in Pakistan, the petitioner’s counsel replied that nothing was happening here. The counsel told the court that their application seeking the formation of a judicial commission to probe the murder was still pending. He also added that an FIR could be registered in Pakistan as well. The IHC bench observed on the point of the FIR that even the trial could be held in Pakistan and mentioned the trial murder of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Imran Farooq as a reference. Later, the bench disposed of the post-mortem report petition. Arshad’s mother Riffat Ara Alvi moved the court through her lawyer Barrister Shoaib Razzaq and cited Federation of Pakistan through President of Pakistan, Ministry of Interior through Secretary Interior and Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) through its Joint Executive Director and postmortem member as respondents. She moved the court against the delay in provision of the postmortem report of his son and said that postmortem report was sought from the administration on November 3 by family’s focal person but they were told by the administration that they did not have the report as it was with the police. The mother of Arshad also stated in the petition that upon contacting the police they were again turned down and were asked to contact the administration. She further said that the Pakistan Institute of Medical Science’s (PIMS) management was also contacted for the purpose of availability of report but they neither provided that nor had denied. In the petition, she expressed her fear of alteration in the report so that the facts could be distorted urging that they should be kept informed all times to ensure transparency. The petitioner said that the family is being kept in the dark and feared that the postmortem report might be tempered. She continued that the family members of the martyr are being dragged and humiliated during these tumultuous time from one department to another. “The petitioner is now concerned and under apprehension that the initial and final autopsy report may be altered or amended in order to deviate from the true facts as to what has actually happened to her martyred son,” maintained the mother. She urged the IHC that direction may be given to the respondents to ensure that the whole process is transparent and without any influence or coercion by and through any third party or external factors. The mother requested the court that the representative/ focal person of petitioner may be directly involved and included in the whole process and be briefed by the relevant authorities. She added that the PIMS authorities be directed to release the report of autopsy solely to the petitioner and if required to the relevant authorities and that the said report may not be made public without the consent of the petitioner.