IHC asks IB, FIA, PTA to satisfy court on why contempt proceedings shouldn't be initiated

• IHC issues notices to IB, FIA, PTA chiefs in audio leaks case. 
• Pleas seeking Justice Sattar's recusal declared mala fide.
• High court releases 40-page judgment on recusal pleas.
  

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has directed Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) chairman and director generals of Intelligence Bureau (IB) and the Federal Investigation Agency to satisfy the court on why a contempt of court proceedings should not be initiated against them.

The IHC also sent preliminary notices to heads of the government departments with regard to contempt of court in the audio leaks case. 

Declaring the petitions seeking recusal of IHC Justice Babar Sattar a mala fide, the high court directed heads of the government departments to satisfy the court on why a contempt of court proceedings should not be initiated against them.

In the 40-page judgment on the departments' recusal pleas, the IHC judge directed the ones who gave the state departments an authority to lodge the case to pay the Rs0.5 million fine from their own pockets.

Earlier this week, the court had fined three government departments — Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra), PTA and FIA — Rs0.5 million each while dismissing their separate petitions pertaining to the matter.

While the court did not fine the IB at that time, it had summoned its Joint Director General Tariq Mehmood at the next hearing of the case.

Days after the three departments were fined, the IB had filed a plea seeking to withdraw its objection against the bench hearing the audio leaks case. However, the petition was dismissed by Justice Sattar.

It should be noted that the audio leak case, which involves former chief justice Saqib Nisar's son Najamul Saqib and Bushra Bibi — wife of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, is being heard by Justice Sattar after the matter surfaced in 2023.

Requesting recusal of Justice Sattar to avoid any differing decision, all the applicants including IB, FIA, Pemra and PTA — in their pleas — had argued that the petitions of Bushra Bibi and ex-CJP's son should be placed before the bench that had decided an identical matter in 2021.

The departments had sought Justice Sattar's recusal after a letter by six IHC judges, which also included him, was written to the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), complaining about the alleged interference of intelligence agencies in the court's decision.

The judges, on March 25, had demanded to convene the judicial convention to consider the matter of alleged interference of intelligence operatives in the judicial functions or "intimidation" of judges in a manner that undermined the independence of the judiciary.