Issuing notices to Islamabad police and the Pakistan Army over the latter’s complaint, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) questioned why the defamation case against lawyer and activist Imaan Mazari had not been withdrawn despite submission of her written statement.
An FIR was registered against Imaan on the complaint of Lt. Col. Humayun Iftikhar who was representing the Pakistan Army, claiming that she had made a ‘derogatory’ statement on May 21 against the army and its senior leadership outside the IHC, when her mother Shireen Mazari was arrested from outside her residence.
It was filed under Pakistan Penal Codes 138 (Abetment of act of insubordination by soldier, sailor or airman) and 505 (Statements conducing to public mischief).
Imaan appeared before court on Monday, and was asked to provide a statement, but she requested additional time to submit a written statement. She has been out on pre-bail arrest since May 27.
While hearing a petition today seeking the dismissal of the case, the court issued notices to the station house officer (SHO), the investigating officer and the complainant.
In her statement, Imaan had said that she was under a lot of stress when the remarks being referred to in the FIR were made, seeing as how her mother had just been abducted, and therefore the comments made were purely unintentional.
When asked by Chief Justice Athar Minallah about whether she had conveyed this to the investigating team when they had been investigating her, she replied in the affirmative. This was confirmed by her counsel as well, who said that Imaan had complied with every stage of the investigation.
The Chief Justice said that after this statement, the complainant should withdraw its case, and adjourned the hearing till June 9.
