IHC bars police from arresting Mazari’s daughter in ‘treason’ case
CJ says court will not tolerate stifling of dissenting voices, especially of students belonging to Balochistan
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The Islamabad High Court on Friday barred the police from arresting Advocate Imaan Hazir Mazari, daughter of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leader and Federal Minister for Human Rights Dr. Shireen Mazari, in a treason case and summoned the inspector general of police (IGP), Islamabad, interior secretary and chief secretary on the next hearing due to be held on March 7, 2022, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
During the hearing of a petition filed against the registration of a case against Imaan, Chief Justice (CJ) of the IHC Justice Athar Minallah remarked that stifling the voice of students amounted to treason. “SSP sahib, you will arrest not a single Baloch student,” he ordered.
When the CJ asked whether the FIR had been registered against the daughter of PTI minister, her counsel replied that not only it was registered but was also sealed.
CJ Minallah said that the state should listen to the protesting Baloch students. SSP operations told the court that three cops had also been injured in clashes between the protestors and the police. “The court will not tolerate stifling of dissent, especially of the students belonging to Balochistan,” the judge said categorically.
He asked as to how many students were injured. “Why not the court constitutes a commission to fix responsibility,” the CJ asked.
The Islamabad police had yesterday (Thursday) registered a case of sedition against Imaan Zainab Mazari after she took part in Baloch students' protest outside the National Press Club on March 1.
Reportedly, hundreds of Baloch students had staged a sit-in outside the press club. Imaan Mazari and Member of National Assembly Mohsin Dawar had also joined the sit-in to show their solidarity.
It was further learnt that in order to disperse the students, the Islamabad police had to baton-charge them.
Police later told that a case of sedition was registered against Ms Mazari, Dawar, and hundreds of Baloch students for "rebellion, rioting, and raising of anti-state slogans."
Reporter Ehtesham Kiyani