By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday appointed a commission to dig into the arrest of the former PTI minister and lawmaker Shireen Mazari in a land case lodged with the Anti-Corruption Establishment of Punjab.
Former law secretary Justice (Retd) Shakur Paracha will head the three-member commission, while two members are former inspector general of police Dr Noman Khan and former federal secretary Dr Saifullah Chattha.
Three member commission would be headed by Justice (Retd) Shakoor Paracha.
In the previous hearing of the petition filed by the former human rights minister’s daughter, Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir, the court had observed that Mazari’s arrest in the land case was ‘unlawful’.
It had also ordered a judicial probe into the PTI leader’s arrest and asked the federal government to frame its terms of reference (ToRs).
In Thursday’s hearing, Deputy Attorney General Arshad Mehmood Kiani furnished the court with a notification issued by the federal government to form a judicial commission. The notification, dated June 4, contains the commission’s ToRs.
As per the notification, the commission will investigate public functionaries’ abuse of powers, determine why criminals were not effectively investigated and held accountable, investigate Mazari’s arrest fairly, and make recommendations to prevent future occurrences.
The notification stated that the commission would submit its report within 30 days.
Ali Bokhari, Mazari’s lawyer, argued that the commission has not taken any action since the notification was issued, including summoning her.
Mazari’s counsel also asked the court to ask the deputy AG whether Mazari’s request to have her criminal proceedings investigated, included in the ToRs, had been accepted.
The court remarked that “we cannot supervise the commission, let them do their job accordingly.”
The court’s opinion was that the action against Mazari was “not according to the legal process”, the judge observed.
Justice Athar Minallah asked if Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf had submitted any report.
To which, the deputy AG responded that he had not been given any report by the speaker of the lower house.
Later, the court ordered the NA secretary to submit the report and adjourned the hearing till July 7.
A joint team of the Islamabad police and Punjab ACE arrested Mazari outside her home on May 21. She was released on the orders of the IHC on the same day.
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