Malicious campaign against Justice Babar Sattar: IHC directs FIA to contact US Embassy to get details of X accounts

ISLAMABAD: A larger bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC), on Tuesday, directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to contact the US Embassy to get the details of X accounts allegedly involved in a malicious campaign on social media against Justice Babar Sattar.

The three-member IHC bench comprising Justice Moshin Akhtar Kayani, Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, and Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan, on Tuesday, heard a case, wherein, it had already issued notices to the Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP), secretary Ministry of Defence, ISI, MI, IB, the Counter-terrorism Department, and others.

During the hearing, the additional attorney general (AAG) informed the bench that a formal inquiry has been lodged and the FIA has issued notices to six accused. He added that the two accused have joined the inquiry and another has sent his reply.

The AAG also told the bench that the response from ISI is ready and will be submitted within a day. He added that a three-member committee of FIA has been formed and half of the 51,000 logged-in accounts have been checked in the last three months.

Justice Kayani asked who is heading the committee. The AAG replied that an additional director of the FIA is heading the committee. The bench asked what is the answer of the X. The AAG replied that X has asked to contact the US Embassy.

Director Cybercrime gave the details to the court through a projector saying that 39 accounts were involved in this campaign and 29 are unknown while 10 are identified. He told that the FIA has received X’s reply saying that contact the US Embassy.

In this regard, the court directed to contact the US Embassy by following the due process. The bench directed the FIA to contact the US Embassy to seek the details from X.

Justice Kayani asked whether these companies have no offices in Pakistan. The AAG replied in negative, saying that these companies have not set up offices in Pakistan despite being told so. The judge then inquired whether Pakistan made any contact with these companies.

The FIA director said the first trend against Justice Babar Sattar “Will Babar Sattar Resign” was started by Khawaja Muhammad Yasin from AJK. He added that this hashtag was started from the account of Khawaja Muhammad Yasin, a citizen of Azad Kashmir but he did not join the inquiry. He further said that Syed Faizan Rafi, a citizen of Karachi, also started a hashtag and he was also issued notices but he replied that he is out of country.

Justice Ishaq said, isn’t it surprising that a person sitting in Neelum Valley of Kashmir suddenly found out about Justice Babar Sattar and started writing.

Later, the bench deferred the hearing after the summer vacation.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024