IHC issues order on Imaan Zainab Mazari's petition against sedition case

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has issued a written order on Imaan Zainab Mazari’s petition against the registration of a sedition case against her, ARY News reported on Friday.

The IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah issued a written order on Imaan Zainab Mazari’s petition seeking de-sealing of the FIR filed by Islamabad police against the protestors. The high court stopped police from arresting the petitioner and anyone else.

The order read that the respondents had misused their authority to suppress freedom of expression by the use of excessive force to disperse the peaceful protestors. The Quaid-e-Azam University students from Balochistan had staged a peaceful protest outside the press club against the enforced disappearances.

The petitioner came to know from the electronic media regarding the registration of a criminal case against the peaceful protestors. Faisal Kamran, senior superintendent of police, was present in the court in connection with another case, it read. Faisal Kamran had registered the First Information Report (FIR) 203/2022 under the sections of criminal conspiracy, disobedience and others.

Police had misused their authority via the use of excessive force to disperse the young protestors, mostly students, the IHC order stated, adding that the FIR gave an impression of discouraging the difference of opinion and the expression of grievances.

The high court maintained that the acts of violence and amounting to sedition on part of state functionaries are intolerable.

The IHC chief justice stated that the state and national institutions should encourage the freedom of expression to the young citizens, especially from Balochistan province.

The high court issued directives to the interior secretary, chief commissioner, inspector general (IG) police, and human rights’ secretary to personally appear before the court to give a solid reason for using excessive force against the peaceful young citizens, as well as satisfying the court for registering criminal conspiracy case against the protestors.

The IHC CJ directed the registrar’s office to send copies of the order to the respondents, higher authorities for its implementation besides issuing a notice to the attorney general. The IHC also ordered the registrar’s office to fix the hearing of the petition on March 7.