ISLAMABAD – Islamabad High Court (IHC) Justice Babar Sattar on Monday rejected the pleas moved by Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) and Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) regarding objections raised against him in the audio leaks case.
The judge fined Rs500,000 for their submissions each.
During the hearing, which involved applications from Bushra Bibi and Najam Saqib, Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan and legal counsel Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan were present in court.
Justice Sattar addressed Aitzaz Ahsan, observing that he would hear the miscellaneous applications first and deferred Ahsan’s matters for later consideration.
Expressing concern over objections raised by FIA, Justice Sattar questioned their authority in the matter, particularly referencing the agency’s request to transfer the case to a different court due to his alleged involvement in a previous letter addressing intelligence agencies’ interference in judicial affairs.
Additional Attorney General Munawar Iqbal Dogal clarified FIA’s stance, denying any connection to the installation of hidden cameras at judges’ residences but highlighting the agency’s role in the ongoing petition regarding agency involvement.
Justice Sattar further probed the concept of conflict of interest, particularly in cases where judges might be subjected to executive pressure, before ultimately dismissing FIA’s objection petition and imposing a fine of Rs500,000, while also considering contempt of court proceedings against the FIA director general.
Similarly, the court demanded an explanation from the Intelligence Bureau (IB) regarding the filing of their application and summoned the IB’s joint director general individually, with Justice Sattar questioning the approval process for IB’s submissions.
Addressing Pemra’s objections, Justice Sattar questioned the grounds for their appeal before dismissing all petitions from Pemra, PTA, FIA, and IB, fining each entity Rs500,000 and suggesting the initiation of contempt of court proceedings against relevant authorities.
The legal community present in court commended Justice Sattar’s bold stance, with Aitzaz Ahsan expressing pride in the Islamabad High Court’s decision.
