IHC sends PTI lawmakers to jail, criticizes ‘comedy’ FIR
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has invalidated the eight-day physical remand of several Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MNAs, sending them to jail on judicial remand. The lawmakers had been arrested following a recent rally in Islamabad.
A two-member special bench, led by Chief Justice Aamir Farooq and Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz, delivered the decision after hearing petitions challenging the physical remand of the detained PTI MNAs. The bench criticized the arrest process and the contents of the FIR filed against the suspects.
Chief Justice Aamir Farooq expressed concerns over the arrest of lawmakers from within the Parliament House, questioning the procedure. “Parliament is the mother of all institutions,” he remarked, adding that the court will not allow the dignity of any institution to be compromised.
The prosecutor general argued that “anti-state speeches” were made at the rally, but the chief justice emphasized the importance of a fair trial, stating that everyone, regardless of the accusations, is entitled to due process.
The court also questioned the training of police officers involved in the case, with Justice Farooq calling the FIR a “comedy” and humorously suggesting that it could be turned into a movie. The courtroom erupted in laughter as the chief justice compared the FIR to a fictional story.
As the prosecutor read the charges, including the recovery of weapons, the chief justice remarked in disbelief, “What more do you want to seize from them?” He further mocked the situation, likening it to a scene from a dramatic film.
The court’s decision to annul the physical remand highlights its disapproval of how the case was handled and the nature of the accusations against the PTI MNAs.