Pakistan: Court seeks report from IGP, district administration over judicial complex vandalism
Mar 22, 2023
Islamabad [Pakistan], March 22 : Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday sought a report from the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Akbar Nasir Khan and the district administration on the riots and vandalism by unruly political workers at the Federal Judicial Complex (FJC) last week, Geo News reported.
Chief Justice Aamer Farooq issued the notices seeking the report during the hearing of a contempt petition, filed by assistant commissioner Shalimar against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan after the "destruction caused by his party's workers" when he reached FJC to appear in court for the hearing of Toshakhana case, Geo News reported.
After hearing the arguments of the petitioner's counsel Raja Rizwan Abbasi, the court combined the contempt case with that of the missing court file bearing Khan's signature. The Superintendent of Police Sami Malik had lost the file bearing Imran Khan's signature amid rampant pandemonium at the judicial complex on that day.
According to the petition, former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan violated the court orders binding him not to create a law and order situation. The petition reads, "The PTI workers pelted stones on the police and judicial complex which resulted in injuries of police personnel," as per the news report.
The plea read that the police had made security arrangements according to the court order. The plea further said that Imran Khan did not obey a single order issued by the court on March 17. The petition requested the court to summon Imran Khan and take action against him. The court adjourned the hearing till April 17 after issuing the notices.
On March 18, protestors attacked law enforcement officials deployed outside the courts and indiscriminately damaged public property in a bid to stop Imran Khan from appearing in court, Geo News reported.
Meanwhile, the police booked Imran Khan and 17 other PTI leaders on charges of creating disarray by rioting with the police force and damaging public property outside the judicial complex.
They also arrested 61 PTI activists involved in attacking the police personnel and recovered paraphernalia which is needed for making petrol bombs and other homemade weapons that rioters use to fight the law enforcers.
