Peshawar - The Peshawar High Court has ruled that a notice issued by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Lahore to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MNA Shandana Gulzar is unlawful.
The bench of Chief Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim penned a 19-page judgment, asserting the High Court’s authority to intervene and nullify any notice deemed defamatory to a citizen. It also stated that institutions issuing notices to citizens residing in one city but belonging to another can be challenged in the High Court.
The legal challenge stemmed from arguments by the petitioners’ lawyers, who claimed their clients were unfairly accused of making derogatory remarks against institutions. They alleged political motivations behind the accusations, noting deficiencies in the complaint such as missing dates and diary numbers, which created ambiguity in the case.
In response, the deputy attorney defended the FIA’s action, clarifying that the notice originated from FIA Cyber Crime Lahore. The court deliberated over its jurisdiction to hear such matters versus referring them to the Lahore High Court.
The PHC chief justice said that investigative bodies must adhere strictly to legal standards and not conduct investigations arbitrarily. The court found no evidence in the record to support claims of defamatory social media posts by the petitioner, reinforcing its authority to invalidate the FIA notice against Shandana Gulzar as potentially defamatory.
