LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday overruled an office objection to a petition filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, against the summons by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in the cipher and audio leak scandal, and ordered to fix the petition for hearing.
The LHC registrar office had objected to the maintainability of the petition on the ground of its territorial jurisdiction.
Justice Asjad Javed Ghural took up the petition as an objection case and overruled the objection after hearing arguments of the petitioner’s counsel.
Imran Khan’s counsel Salman Safdar argued before the court that the FIA was a federal institution and the LHC had jurisdiction to hear the matter. The PTI chairman, through the petition, submitted that the FIA had launched an inquiry into the alleged audio leak pertaining to the diplomatic cipher and summoned him for recording a statement on December 6.
He submitted that the inquiry had already been challenged in the Supreme Court of Pakistan. He pleaded with the court to set aside the impugned call-up notice and quash the inquiry.
Prohibited funding case
Meanwhile, the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday adjourned Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s petition against the call-up notice issued by the FIA in the prohibited funding case.
PTI chief Imran Khan’s lawyer told the court that the high court’s registrar office has raised an unjustified objection to the petition filed against FIA.
The Federal Investigation Agency has summoned the PTI chairman on Tuesday at 2pm and he cannot travel to Islamabad as he was on bed rest, Khan’s lawyer added.
The registrar office’s objections should be removed and the court should start the proceeding.
