The CJP seems to be hinting towards the formation of a panel in the Arshad murder case.
If the JIT is unable to make any headway, the next move will be taken.
ISLAMABAD: The Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP), Umar Ata Bandial, dropped hints on Friday about the establishment of a judicial commission in the event that the joint investigation team (JIT) looking into the death of senior journalist Arshad Sharif did not make any headway in their inquiry.
During the course of hearing the suo moto case, the Chief Justice stated that if the bench discovered that there was no progress in the JIT’s investigation, they could form a judicial commission in which everyone connected to the case would be summoned to record their statements. The chief justice made this statement while the bench was considering the suo moto case.
He stated that a request to look into this case had been made by the journalist’s mother as well as by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Both of these people wanted this issue looked into.
The Chief Judge of the Supreme Court, Bandial, stated that there should be clarity in the situation and added that there were claims against individuals who shielded Arshad and helped him financially from overseas.
He stated that there was a polarization in society and that there needed to be transparency in order to keep the peace and harmony.
Earlier, Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui, the attorney representing Arshad’s mother, argued against the manner in which the court was supervising the inquiry being conducted by the JIT. He did so in front of a larger bench consisting of five judges.
The Chief Justice of the Philippines, however, provided a justification for the suo motu proceedings by stating that the JIT had only acquired financing as a result of the intervention of the court.
Siddiqui’s argument was also not supported by Judge Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, who stated that the Supreme Court possessed the authority to monitor the investigation in accordance with the law.
He went on to say that the highest court was not sheltering anyone and was not implicating anyone.
Ch. Amir Rehman, Assistant Attorney General, stated that there had been no answer from the authorities in the UAE, and that they were waiting for a response on Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) from the authorities in Kenya.
