ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday restrained authorities from acting against Information Secretary Shaheera Shahid, acting PTV managing director Sohail Ali Khan and director news Rashid Baig Mirza.

They were seeking court’s protection against FIRs registered against them in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah took up the petitions.

Raja Muqsit appeared on behalf of the petitioners and argued that his clients, who were civil servants, had been nominated in the FIRs registered against PML-N leaders Mian Javed Latif and Marriyum Aurangzeb for holding a press conference in Islamabad.

On the court’s query, the counsel said the role of the petitioners was that one was the information secretary and the other an additional secretary and by virtue of his office the latter was also holding the acting charge of the PTV managing director. The third petitioner is the director news PTV.

The counsel argued that a complaint had been filed in the Secretariat police station against his clients. Justice Minallah issued notice to the attorney general and asked him to assist the court in the matter and restrained the Secretariat police from registering FIR against the petitioners.

The court also directed the federal government to ensure the petitioners were not harassed and adjourned hearing till Oct 13.

Javed Latif had also approached the IHC seeking the same relief. He contended that the police in different police stations of Punjab had registered FIRs against him over his remarks on the television programme.

The petition contended that the FIRs can only be registered in the capital where the incident had taken place. It said it was the exclusive domain of Pemra to take action if his remarks were indecent and offensive. He requested the court to declare the FIRs illegal.

Mr Latif had accused the PTI chief of “attacking the basic principles of Islam” by “supporting” the Ahmediyya community during his tenure.

Published in Dawn, October 11th, 2022