ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday served notices to the respondents in a plea submitted by senior journalist Arshad Sharif’s mother Riffat Ara Alvi against the delay in providing the post-mortem report of her deceased son.
IHC Justice Aamir Farooqi heard the plea of Arshad Sharif’s mother. The court after initial arguments in the case, served notices to the respondents of the case and sought a response latest by November 15.
In her petition, Riffat Ara Alvi stated that the focal person of their family had sought a post-mortem report from the local administration on November 3.
It maintained that the administration had, however, told them that they do not have the report and that it was with the police. She added that when the family’s focal person went to the police, they also turned them away and told the deceased’s family to contact the administration.
“The PIMS and local administration have kept Arshad Sharif’s family in the dark about the post-mortem report and humiliated them during this difficult time,” said the application.
The petitioner said that she fears that the autopsy will be altered to distort the facts and thus, they should be kept informed at all times to ensure transparency.
“The postmortem report should be provided to Arshad Sharif’s family and should not be made public without the family’s permission,” requested the petitioner.
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It is pertinent to mention here that the slain journalist’s mother has written a letter to Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, demanding the formation of a high-power judicial commission to probe Arshad Sharif’s killing.
In the letter, the mother urged CJP Umar Ata Bandial to take notice of ‘cruel actions’ of the government in the investigation of journalist’s killing and demanded justice for Sharif’s family.
“Sharif had written a letter to you [CJP Bandial], pointing out the death threats he was receiving and sedition cases that were registered against him across the country,” she noted in the letter.
