Zubair Qureshi Islamabad
The Islamabad High Court on Friday declined to abolish terrorism clauses against head of the Online News Agency and senior journalist Mohsin Baig, however, the court directed the capital’s Inspector General of Police to probe allegations that Baig was subjected to torture while in police custody.
In its order, the court also directed the District Magistrate to visit Baig in the lock-up and see the conditions he was living in. Both the officers have been directed to submit a report in the matter on Monday, February 21.
The IHC issued the order on a petition filed by Baig’s wife, Shehla Mustafa, requesting the court to quash terrorism case registered against Baig.
Baig has been named in two cases, one registered with the Federal Investigation Agency and the other with Margalla police. The first case was registered at the FIA’s cybercrime reporting centre in Lahore on Communications Minister Murad Saeed’s complaint over his “character assassination” during NewsOne talk show G for Gharida, in which Mohsin Baig was one of the panelists. Subsequently, an FIA team raided Baig’s residence in Islamabad on Wednesday, taking action on Saeed’s complaint.
During that raid, officials allege Baig shot at and roughed up members of the FIA team, following which he was arrested by police and a separate case was registered against him for attacking government officials.
