- Justice Ejaz Afzal says court wants to see who attempted to vilify top judiciary in sensitive area
The Supreme Court (SC) has rejected police investigations in anti-judiciary banners case and directed investigation officer Khalid Awan to fix responsibility within two weeks, complete investigation and file report thereof before it.
A three-member SC bench presided over by Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan took up the case for hearing Monday.
Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan said that the investigation officer was working contrary to his experiences and the police investigation had yielded no outcome. “We want to see who has made attempt to malign top judiciary of the country in sensitive area.”
Justice Ejaz Chaudhry remarked, “If the accused named Rashid is freelance journalist then his any news might have been published anywhere. Is he not connected with some sensitive institution? Is he working for an agency? How can a person who is mere a business man and whose no case is pending hearing in SC go against a judge of superior judiciary to such an extent? Someone is at his back and police is trying to cover him up.”
Deputy Attorney General (DAG) Khawaja Ahmad Hussain appeared in the court and said that Rashid has accepted the whole responsibility of placing anti judiciary banners and has recorded statement before the magistrate saying that no one else was included in it. Police has completed challan against him and presented it in the court.
The court asked if the police had stopped its investigation on a “false statement”.
Investigation officer police Khalid Awan told the court that he had made it clear that Rashid had remained connected with an anti-terrorist agency. ”He goes to Pak-Afghan borders these days in connection with business. He is a journalist and furnishes news.”
The court directed that Rashid’s news clippings be presented before the court and adjourned the hearing of the case for two weeks further on the request of investigation officer.
