LAHORE: The Lahore High Court has issued show cause notices of contempt to four police officials of Sargodha on a complaint by District & Sessions Judge Muhammad Abbas and the presiding judge of ATC Sargodha, alleging harassment by the intelligence and law enforcement agencies.
Expressing dissatisfaction over the police reports, the chief justice issued show cause notices to the officials requiring them to submit written replies before the next date of hearing, which will be conducted by Justice Shahid Karim on June 27.
The order said that serious allegations have been levelled in the special reports of the special judge of the ATC against ISI of Sargodha region but no report on behalf of the sector incharge/commander ISI Sargodha Sector or on behalf of Federal Secretary of Defence, Islamabad has been filed before the court.
The order said, “They are directed to positively file their reports in this case before the next date.”
“As the District Police Officer, Sargodha, DSP Headquarters Sargodha, R.O. CTD Sargodha and the concerned SHO have prima facie acted in a mala-fide and contemptuous manner to restrain the lawyers, witnesses, prisoners and parties of the cases to approach the Anti-Terrorism Court for the exercise of their legal and constitutional rights to have the protection of law, therefore, a contempt notice is issued against them,” said an order issued by Chief Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan on the last day of his working in the LHC.
The chief justice had taken a suo motu notice on the complaint filed by the ATC judge and summoned the IGP and other high police officials last week.
Special Judge Abbas had alleged that since his posting at ATC Sargodha he had been receiving some other oral reports from his family members, who are still staying at his previous residence allotted to him as judge of an Anti-Corruption Court, Bahawalpur, that some unknown persons at night time damaged the Sui gas meter installed outside the house.
He also alleged that on the first day of his new charge as judge of the ATC Sargodha, a message was conveyed to him that some authority of ISI wanted to meet him in his chamber.
But, the judge claimed, he straightaway refused to meet him (the alleged authority).
On Thursday, Chief Justice Khan was also given a formal farewell by his fellow judges on his elevation to the Supreme Court.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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