Petition against TV anchor disposed of
By Mudassir Raja
RAWALPINDI: The Lahore High Court disposed of on Monday a petition filed by the son of a slain former ISI man seeking registration of a case against a TV channel anchor for the murder of his father.
Justice Manzoor Ahmed Malik of LHC’s Rawalpindi bench asked petitioner Usama Khalid, son of Khalid Khawaja, to use the legal option of filing a private complaint against journalist Hamid Mir.
The petitioner through his lawyer Ayyaz Ahmed Khan Sial had said that the station house officer of Shalimar police in Islamabad was bound under the law to register the case against Mr Mir but he had refused to do so.
While disposing of the petition, the judge observed that the petitioner could use the option of moving the court through a private complaint.
Citing the SHO and a sub-inspector of Shalimar police as respondents, the petitioner had challenged the June 12 order of an additional district and sessions judge rejecting his plea to register the murder case.
The petitioner said Shalimar police had informed the court that they lacked jurisdiction because the murder of Mr Khawaja had not been committed in their area.
He alleged that the conspiracy to kill his father had been hatched in the area of Shalimar police and the travel of his father to tribal areas had been arranged by Mr Mir.
He said the justice of peace should have ordered registration of the case because a cognisable offence had been committed. He said a justice of peace could not discuss the merits of a case while hearing an application under Section 22-A of the Criminal Procedure Code.
The petitioner had attached a copy of the application submitted to Shalimar police for registration of the criminal case against the journalist and Usman Punjabi for planning and killing Khalid Khawaja.
Usama Khalid alleged that the journalist had developed ideological differences with his father on the issue of Lal Masjid operation in Islamabad and disliked him.
He alleged that Mr Mir arranged the travel of his father to the tribal area in March and Mr Khawaja trusted him because of their long-term relationship. Usama also accused the journalist of directing Usman Punjabi to kill his father.
Source: Dawn
Date:7/13/2010
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