ISLAMABAD, May 14: Justice Riaz Ahmed Khan of Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday dismissed a petition filed by Bhoja Air seeking quashment of the plane crash FIR registered against the management and staff of the company.

The court order enabled the police to investigate the air crash.

The petition was filed by Bhoja Air secretary Syed Mehmood Ali and an admin assistant Fayyaz Khan.

Khalid Mehmood Siddiqui, the counsel for Bhoja Air, maintained that after the plane crash the Koral police had registered a case against Farouk Bhoja on mere assumptions.

He said the government had initiated an inquiry into the plane crash at different forums, adding a judicial commission, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), FIA and the standing committee of National Assembly were investigating the plane crash and the management of the company was fully cooperating with them.

When the court pointed out whether it could quash the FIR, the counsel claimed that the superior judiciary on a number of instances had ordered quashment of FIRs registered against companies Deputy Attorney General Mohammad Abid Raja told the court that since the matter was of public importance; therefore, the police could register the FIR against the entire company and its officials.

Zulfiqar Abbas Naqvi, the counsel for four of the plane crash victims, said the Bhoja Air could not seek relief without making the victim families as respondents.

He requested the court not to entertain the request of the management of the company because they wanted to dodge the due process of law.