No journalist facing FIA notices to be arrested, AGP assures SC

Source: The Nation

ISLAMABAD - The Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Wednes­day gave undertaking to the Supreme Court that no journalist will be arrested whom the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) issued notices under Section 160 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898. A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa conducted hearing of suo motu notice against the harassment of journalists by the FIA.

Advocate Salahuddin Ahmed, representing Press Association of Supreme Court (PAS) and Islam­abad High Court Journalists Association (IHCJA), informed that the FIA notices have been issued to the number of journalists under Section 160 of CrPC. He contended that if the free hand to the FIA is checked then many of the grievances of his cli­ents would be resolved.

He questioned how without an FIR, the FIA of­ficials can investigate the journalists, adding they have to tell them (journalists) about the detail of allegations. He said that the FIA has no power to investigate the journalists if they don't have mag­istrate order. AGP Mansoor Usman Awan apprised that the investigation has been started after the apex court took up the journalists' case.