The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has issued a show cause notice to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA)’s cybercrime wing for ‘misuse of power’ in a case filed by the spouse of media personality Mohsin Baig, alleging that the latter was manhandled, tortured and denied access to a lawyer.
“Such a role by an agency or the state in a democratic country is not tolerable,” IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah said during a hearing on Monday. “[The IHC] won’t let the FIA become a rogue agency.”
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has issued a show cause notice to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA)’s cybercrime wing for ‘misuse of power’ in a case filed by the spouse of media personality Mohsin Baig, alleging that the latter was manhandled, tortured and denied access to a lawyer.
IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah inquired as to the standard operating procedures (SOPs) of the FIA when undertaking such complaints. The director of the cybercrime wing, present at the hearing, said that they had not issued a notice to Baig upon receiving Murad’s complaint.
“Your laws tell you to first conduct an inquiry but you didn’t abide by it because the complaint was filed by a minister,” Justice Minallah observed, adding that Section 21 D of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016 (PECA) would not apply to the case as the remarks were aired on a television show.
The IHC directed the cybercrime wing director to respond to the court and ordered the attorney general to appear in defence of the FIA at the next hearing.
