IHC reserves verdict on plea to remove terrorism charges against Asad Qaiser

IHC reserves verdict on plea to remove terrorism charges against Asad Qaiser

Pakistan

Court provided relief by issuing notice of restricting police from harassing

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - Islamabad High Court reserved verdict on plea to remove terrorism charges against former Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser.

Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday heard a plea to remove terrorism charges from the case against former speaker.

The IHC bench, comprising of Chief Justice IHC Amir Farooq and Justice Mian Gul Hassan Aurangzeb, reserved its verdict after hearing the arguments.

During the hearing, Asad Qaiser's legal representative Advocate Sher Afzal Marwat appeared before the court.

Chief Justice IHC Amir Farooq asked whether the plea was supposed to be registered under section 23, adding that the court cannot stop police from investigating the FIR while the court provided relief by issuing notice of restricting police from harassing.

The former Speaker's lawyer argued that police had nominated 200 individuals in the FIR but arrested more than 400 people. The court asked under which law the arrested individuals were given judicial custody and the ones arrested were now being discharged, he added.

The lawyer, while giving references of several cases, argued that the arrests made were against human rights.

The court reserved its verdict after hearing the arguments from both sides.