ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) challenged in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) the registration of FIRs and the Federal Investigation Agency’s inquiry against the party’s top leadership in the prohibited funding case.
Omar Ayub, senior leader of the PTI, on Saturday, filed a constitutional petition before the IHC through advocate Faisal Fareed and cited the federation, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, Inspector Generals of Police of all the provinces and Islamabad, and Director General FIA as respondents.
It has prayed to the IHC to direct the FIA and the police to immediately stop the unlawful and illegal harassment and raids against the petitioner and the PTI’s top leadership. He further prayed that the actions of the FIA and the police be declared illegal, unlawful, and unconstitutional as well as in violation of the court’s direction passed in various judgments.
A day ago, it was reported that the FIA had taken Saifullah Nyazee into custody from the premises of the Senate and transferred him to a cell. Another founding member of the PTI, Hamid Zaman, was also arrested from his office on Waris Road in Lahore.
PTI leader Hamid Zaman arrested in prohibited funding case
According to reports, the FIA team had raided PTI leader Aamir Kayani’s house to arrest him. The house of Tariq Shafi, another founding member of the PTI and a member of the party’s finance board, was also raided in Karachi.
Fareed submitted that the Election Commission of Pakistan on 02-08-22 issued a show cause notice to the PTI regarding prohibited funding, allegedly received by the party, and it is pending adjudication before the ECP. “Therefore, the respondents in order to satisfy its ill will and draconian intentions using the fact-finding report to target the party and in the garb of the said report it has unleashed the FIA on the party leadership that on the behest of the incumbent federal government registered the FIRs and reportedly many other FIRs are also in the pipeline against the PTI leadership.” He contended that the ruling party in a mala fide intention has started a vilification campaign against the PTI leadership, including Chairman Imran Khan to settle the political score.
After the announcement of the long march by the PTI chairman, the incumbent government is unnerved and is acting in a hysteric manner falsely implicating the petitioner and the top leadership of the PTI in false and frivolous FIRs.
The FIA had kicked off its probe against the PTI in August after the Election Commission of Pakistan declared that the party had, indeed, received prohibited funding.
The petitioner prayed that the FIA and police be directed to place on record all the FIRs registered in the various parts of the country against the petitioner and the PTI leaders, and to refrain from violating and disrespecting the privacy, honour of the family and household of the petitioner and preserve the sanctity thereof.
He further requested the IHC to direct to inform the petitioner of the grounds and reasons for the registration of criminal cases, to ensure his fundamental right to consult and be defended by a legal practitioner of his choice, and to satisfy this august court, before lodging any action against the petitioner and top leadership.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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