Islamabad-The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Monday issued notices to federation in an application seeking post-arrest bail for former senator Faisal Raza Abidi in a case related to defamation of Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar.
A Division Bench (DB) of IHC comprising Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb conducted hearing of the petition seeking bail for Abidi on medical grounds and issued the notices to federation directing it to submit its reply in this connection.
Abidi has approached the IHC to seek bail on medical grounds as the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Islamabad had earlier turned down the application of former senator seeking bail after arrest after the prosecutor adopted that the accused had in an interview aired on a private television channel tried to blackmail the top judge.
However, the counsel for Abidi contended before the court that there was nothing on record showing his client had threatened any member of the judiciary.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had booked Faisal Raza under the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016.
According to the FIR registered against the former senator, Abidi with criminal intent and ulterior motives and without lawful justification had used sarcastic, derogatory, disrespectful and defamatory language against the chief justice. It said his remarks were tantamount to creating a sense of fear, panic and insecurity among the government, general public and society.
