ISALAMABAD - The Islamabad High Court (IHC) will Monday (today) take up Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan’s petition seeking information regarding the number of FIRs registered against him across the country.
A single bench of IHC comprising Chief Justice of IHC Justice Aamer Farooq will conduct hearing of the petition moved by Khan through Khawaja Haris Advocate, Faisal Fareed Advocate, Intazar Hussain Panjotha and others. In his petition, the PTI Chairman cited Federation through Secretary Interior, Inspector General Islamabad (IG) police Islamabad, IG Punjab Police, IG Sindh Police, IG Balochistan Police and Director General (DG) Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) as respondents. He stated that since after the regime change, the petitioner has been a constant target of the respondents on behest of the incumbent PDM government.
The petitioner has been subjected to illegal and unlawful treatment by the respondents and after the dissolution of the provincial assemblies by the interim governments of Punjab and KP, the situation deteriorated drastically and the petitioner has been nominated in criminal cases almost on daily basis. The PTI Chairman said that an onslaught has been unleashed upon the petitioner and his party affiliates and the registration of false and frivolous FIRs has been made a new normal by the respondents and numerous FIRs have been registered against the petitioner on total baseless and false accusations.
He continued that the respondents are hell-bent to sort out the petitioner for raising voice against corruption and to call for justice and the rule of law in the country. To implement the vindictive design against the petitioner with sole intention to humiliate and to cause illegal and unlawful harassment to him a series of criminal cases have been registered against the petitioner throughout the country.
He added that the respondents have miserably failed to abide by their legal and constitutional duties and they are impeding the petitioner’s fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution inter alia access to justice, fair trial, freedom of expression and free speech to appease their new owners. Khan further said that the respondents, in violation of the law and constitution without providing lawful reasoning are adamant to criminalize the fundamental rights of the petitioner while also lacking lawful reasons/ justifications to carry this well though illegal operations against the petitioner, and have no valid basis to initiate such woeful actions against him. He adopted the stance that the respondents are bound to enforce the civil liberties provided and protected by the constitution and to safeguard the petitioner from any and all illegal and unlawful actions.
The registering criminal cases with every drop of hat and nod of head is in sheer violation of letter and spirit of constitution and law and this court being the protector and the guardian of the fundamental rights is expected to protect the breach of any fundamental rights at the hands of the respondents. Khan contended that the settled criminal jurisprudence has been that no one can be nominated in FIR unless and until the allegation and information disclose the commission of cognizable offence.
The criminal cases registered against the petitioner are in a set pattern and he has been nominated in variety of FIRs in a mechanical manner, without having plausible evidence to substantiate the allegations, with intention to abuse the mechanism of law. He said that registration of FIRs and criminal cases in discreet manner by the respondents with malafide and ulterior motives manifests malafide intention and ill will to manhandle and humiliate the petitioner. He added that the abuse of power and illegal and arbitrary exercise of authority by the respondents amount in violation of fundamental rights of the petitioner enshrined in the Constitution of Pakistan.
Therefore, he prayed that the directions may very be given to the respondents to produce the information and record of all the cases registered against the petitioner. He further prayed that meanwhile the arrest of the petitioner may be subjected with the prior approval of this august court.
