ISLAMABAD:
In an unusual development on Tuesday the Police officers seek indictment ofsenior Army officers in case relating to confinement of former CJP JusticeIftikhar Chaudhry.A police officer, already convicted on charges of manhandling former CJPIftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, urged the Supreme Court on Monday to initiatesimilar proceedings against five former military officers who held the CJPhostage at Army House on March 9, 2007.
The five-judge larger bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Asif SaeedKhosa, was hearing appeals filed by seven former members of the Islamabadcapital administration and police personnel.
All of them have been convicted for roughing up former chief justiceIftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.
Ibrahim Satti, the counsel for ASP Jameel Hashmi, wondered why the apexcourt did not initiate contempt proceedings against top army officers, whoheld the former chief justice hostage for several hours on March 9, 2007.
He also pointed out that although Justice Javed Iqbal had taken actionagainst the alleged manhandling of the former CJP, he did not issuecontempt notice to these military officers.
Satti also read out the former CJP’s affidavit, in which he narrated eventsof March 9, 2007 at the President’s camp office in Rawalpindi.
According to the affidavit that top intelligence officials had constantlypressured him to resign, and after keeping him confined for more than fivehours, he was allowed to leave in his car, which was stripped of the flag.“I was informed that I was restrained from acting as the chief justice.”
According to the affidavit, former ruler Pervez Musharraf, then PM ShaukatAziz, Directors-General of Military Intelligence (MI), Inter-ServicesIntelligence (ISI), Intelligence Bureau (IB), the Chief of Staff, andanother official were all in the same room. All of these officials (exceptthe IB chief and the chief of staff) were in uniform.
Satti argued that his client was not in attendance at the time. He alsocontended that the former CJP had been deposed and Justice Javed Iqbal hadbeen sworn in as the acting CJP.