ISLAMABAD (INP): The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday ordered to register an FIR of a gun attack on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan within 24 hours. The apex court ordered the Punjab inspector-general to file an FIR of the attack on PTI Chairman Imran Khan within 24 hours.
The orders were passed by the five-member SC bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial while hearing the contempt case against the former prime minister. During the hearing, CJP Bandial asked the IGP Punjab how much time he need to file the FIR of the incident. “Tell me in how much time will the FIR of the attack be filed.”
The CJP observed that the delay in FIRs means evidence is being lost, and the SC will ensure the smooth running of the criminal justice system, the CJP remarked. CJP Bandial further said that it is a judicial responsibility, even if the provincial government has a different position, the police should act according to the law.
It is pertinent to mention here that Imran Khan and several other PTI leaders were injured after a man opened fire near the PTI reception camp at Allahwala Chowk during party’s long march. During a hearing on the contempt of court case against Khan on Monday, the PTI chair’s lawyer told the court that a case of the attack on Khan has yet to be registered.
The apex court’s orders came following the November 3 assassination attempt in Wazirabad on Imran Khan which left him injured during his party’s much-touted anti-government long march towards Islamabad. Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial, addressing the Punjab advocate-general, said that under the criminal justice system, the police can file an FIR on their own and that 90 hours have passed since the attack and an FIR has not been filed.
The CJP ordered the Punjab IG to register an FIR of the attack within 24 hours and said that if the case is not registered, the court would take suo motu notice. It was worth mentioned here that PTI chief, who was leading the party’s long march, was injured during a gun attack at a protest gathering in Punjab’s Wazirabad on November 3. A PTI supporter, Muazzam Nawaz, was killed in the incident while 14 others, including Imran were wounded.
Interior ministry asks Punjab govt to register FIR of Wazirabad incident: The Ministry of Interior has asked the Punjab government to immediately register a first information report of the Wazirabad firing incident and stated that report must be “based on merits and not on conjectures or speculative allegations”.
In a letter addressed to the provincial chief secretary and Punjab inspector general the ministry termed the delay in the registration of the FIR a “lacklustre response of the Punjab government to the unfortunate incident”. “The delay is grossly illegal and has caused irreparable damage to prosecute the real accused,” the letter stated. It added that the case was mishandled by the Punjab government, creating a law and order situation in the province.
