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| September 01, 2006 | Friday | Sha'aban 7, 1427 |
Probe sought into leak of classified information
LAHORE, Aug 31: The Lahore High Court on Thursday took serious notice of the leakage of a secret piece of information to the police in a habeas corpus matter by the Punjab advocate-general office before the court issued notices or deputed bailiff for the recovery of a detenue.
The court ordered Advocate-General Aftab Iqbal to conduct a probe into the matter and submit a report. It directed the advocate-general to appoint an officer to determine as to who was responsible for providing the information to police concerned, and take departmental action against the officials responsible for the act.
It observed that the act of providing police the details of habeas corpus petitions amounted to frustrating court’s ensuing proceedings, and protecting the officials who kept people in unlawful custody. Such an act, the court observed, provided an opportunity to the police officers concerned to cover up any illegalities committed by them in such matters.
The court gave these observations during the hearing of a habeas corpus petition filed by Ms Ashraf Sultana through advocate Rana Habibur Rehman, seeking the recovery of her son Azam from Malka Hans police, Pakpattan district, which arrested him nine days ago without giving the reason and without the registration of any criminal case against him.
The question of the leakage of classified information to police concerned arose when the petitioner’s counsel raised an objection to the presence of Malka Hans SHO Mehar Mohammad Fayyaz, SI Ghulam Rasool and constables Akram and Qasim Ali, along with additional advocate-general Khadim Husain Qaiser at a time when the habeas corpus petition was being taken up for the first time and the court was to issue notices to police and the advocate-general office.
The counsel submitted he wondered why and how the police officials came to know about the habeas matter when the petition was still at pre-admission stage. He objected to their presence in the court, which, he stated, was against normal judicial practices.
Upon this, the court expressed its surprise over the situation and asked the police officials as to how and why they appeared without issuance of any notice to them. The SHO replied that he had received information from the AG office regarding placing of the case as an urgent matter.
The court, taking notice of the issue, called the LHC deputy registrar Syed Riaz Ali Zaidi on short notice and sought explanation as to how the information leaked to the respondents. Mr Zaidi submitted that no such information was provided by his office to the police officials concerned, who had themselves admitted that they received the information from the AG office.
The SHO later categorically stated that he had received a wireless call from the advocate-general’s office regarding the case.— Correspondent
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