Daily Times

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday directed the District Magistrate and Inspector General of Police (IGP) Islamabad to probe the allegations of torture on journalist Mohsin Jameel Baig in police custody and submit their reports on February 21.

Chief Justice Athar Minallah, who heard the petition of Mohsin Baig’s wife against his husband’s arrest, observed that the allegations of torture and no access of the legal team to the accused were serious as the basic rights of an individual did not suspend even after arrest. He ordered the District Magistrate to conduct inspection of the Margalla Police Station, observing that if torturing of the accused were proved then action would be taken against the responsible officials.

The chief justice also summoned Advocate General on the next hearing in the same case. The court, however, asked the petitioner to amend its plea as only the accused could file a case for termination of first information reports against him.

The petitioner’s lawyer Latif Khosa adopted the stance that Mohsin Baig was tortured during the police custody after his arrest. The court said that this case was not related to illegal detention. Meanwhile, the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) granted the police a further three-day physical remand of Mohsin Baig in an FIR registered under Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA). It, however, sent two co-accused including Ishfaq and Zulifqar to jail on judicial remand. Lawyer Latif Khosa opposed the request of further remand and said that the officials entered his client’s house in simple dresses without warrants. He alleged that the officials illegally breached the privacy of Mohsin Baig’s house.

The Margalla Police prayed the court to grant further remand of the accused, adding that it had arrested the accused from crime scene with a weapon. He said that the accused had shot straight fires on the FIA’s team. The court also accepted the application of the defence side for medical check-up of the accused.