Islamabad High Court (IHC) Summons Officials Over Illegal Phone Recordings Case
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has summoned the heads of the Intelligence Bureau (IB), the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) in connection with a case regarding the illegal recording of private telephone conversations.
According to the Express Tribune, Justice Babar Sattar, presiding over the IHC bench, issued this directive on Feb 21 during the resumed hearing of petitions filed by Najam-us-Saqib, son of former Chief Justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar, and Bushra Bibi, the wife of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, following the alleged leaking of their phone calls.
FIA Director-General Waqar Uddin Syed appeared in court along with a representative of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), Asif Bashir Chaudhry. However, the IB Director-General and the chairpersons of the PTA and the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) did not attend, prompting Justice Sattar to express displeasure and question the absence of these officials.
The government lawyer explained that the IB Director-General was unwell, with the IB’s deputy director-general present in court. The court instructed that ailing officers should provide medical reports at the next hearing.
As reported by Pakistan Today, IHC directed the representatives of the PFUJ and the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) to appear before the court. The unlawfully recorded telephone conversation was widely disseminated through electronic and print media.
The court adjourned the hearing until the first week of March, directing the FIA Director-General to provide explanations on surveillance and recording of phone calls in the next session
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