IHC dismisses order to register case against Jang/Geo

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday dismissed an order to register a case against Jang/Geo group.

The Justice of Peace Islamabad had issued an order to lodge a case against Jang/Geo Group on a petition filed by citizen Arshad Butt.

Justice Riaz Ahmed Khan heard the petition against the order filed by Jang Group today. According to Jang Group lawyer Faisal Iqbal Advocate, the order of the Justice of Peace was not correct and petitioner Arshad Butt was not an aggrieved party in the case.

According to Faisal Iqbal, Arshad Butt had not even approached SHO Margalla for the case to be registered which is a pre-requisite before approaching the Justice of Peace.

Similar petitions against Jang/Geo group have been dismissed by the Sindh, Islamabad and Lahore high Courts already.

It may be mentioned here that the unanimous opinion of legal experts is that the additional sessions judge and the Justice of Peace Islamabad, who passed an order under section 22-A Cr.PC to register an FIR against journalists under the treason and terrorism acts, is unlawful and the JP didn’t fulfil the requirements of the law.

The JP has transgressed his authority by passing an order in the absence of an application moved to the police for lodging an FIR, criminal law experts spoke out when contacted by this correspondent.