IHC bars DC Islamabad from going abroad

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday barred Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Irfan Nawaz Memon from going abroad, ARY News reported.

IHC’s Justice Babar Sattar issued orders while hearing a case pertaining to the arrests of PTI leaders Sheharyar Afridi and Shandana Gulzar in September last year.

The court also issued a show-cause notice to DC federal capital and asked him to submit his reply by Monday.

It had also rejected the DC’s unconditional apology for flouting the court orders.

“You issued 67 maintenance of public orders (MPO) for the detention of 970 days,” the judge remarked, adding, “This was stupidity on your part. Now, you will face the consequences.”

“I will announce verdict next week,” said DC Islamabad.

IHC on Tuesday issued arrest warrants for Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Irfan Nawaz Memon in the contempt case.

The high court has ordered IGPs of all the four provinces and Islamabad to arrest the deputy commissioner and produced before it in the case.

Justice Babar Sattar had indicted Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) operations Jamil Zafar, Superintendent (SP) Farooq Buttar and Station House Officer (SHO) Nasir Manzoor while presiding over the hearing of the case.

The IHC had earlier suspended PTI leader Shehryar Afridi’s arrest warrants under maintenance of public order (MPO) and ordered his immediate release.

Afridi was first arrested on May 16 from his Islamabad residence under Section 3 of the MPO Ordinance, 1960. He was rearrested on May 30 under the same section soon after his release from prison.

The court also indicted capital Deputy Commissioner (DC) Irfan Nawaz Memon and three others for contempt in Afridi’s case.

DC Memon and SSP Zafar pleaded not guilty to the charges and also apologised unconditionally to the court. The court also indicted SP Farooq Buttar and SHO Naseer Manzoor with contempt of court, however, both denied the charges.