ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday slammed the country’s premium intelligence agency – the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) – saying it was “running the country” instead of following the law, as it heard a case about the disappearance of poet Ahmed Farhad.
Farhad’s wife had filed a petition in the IHC, seeking the recovery of her husband, who went missing a week ago. Lawyers Iman Mazari and Hadi Ali Chatha represented the petitioner. The court was told that the ISI had denied having any information about Farhad’s whereabouts.
The case has sparked widespread outrage in the country, with many calling for the government to take action to recover Farhad and hold those responsible accountable. Farhad, a prominent poet and writer, is known for his progressive views and has been a vocal critic of the government and the establishment.
Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, who is hearing the case, expressed frustration with the ISI’s response, saying that it was “not a simple matter” and that the agency was “running the country” instead of following the law.
“You are sending messages on one hand and on the other saying the person is not with us,” Justice Kayani said. “Are you going to run the country or follow the law?”
The judge also criticised the ISI’s claim that it had no information about Farhad’s disappearance, saying that it was “not believable.”
“You are saying that the person is not with you, but your registers at police stations show that many people have gone missing,” Justice Kayani said. “Then why are you not taking action?”
The court stated that “sector commanders do not live on the moon… don’t turn them into kings… the country can run without them.” It questioned, “Who is the sector commander? He must be an 18-grade officer at maximum… and you have placed him in the sky.”
The court directed the investigating officer to record the statement of the sector commander and submit it by tomorrow.
The hearing was adjourned until tomorrow, with the court summoning the defence secretary and the interior secretary, and requesting a report based on the sector commander’s statement by the same time.
Law minister ‘shocked’ over court remarks
Meanwhile, Punjab Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar has criticised the Islamabad High Court’s remarks on the case, saying that the court was overstepping its mandate. “The court is not a substitute for the government,” he said while addressing a press conference in Islamabad. “We must take responsibility for our actions, rather than following orders from others,” he added.
Tarar said that the executive and parliament must take responsibility for their actions, rather than following orders.
“The law is clear, and we must follow it,” Tarar said. “The Constitution of Pakistan has given us certain powers, and we must use them to protect the rights of our citizens. The police have a responsibility to investigate and recover missing persons, and if they fail to do so, then the courts must take action.”
Tarar also said that the government was committed to resolving the issue of missing persons and that a special committee had been set up to investigate the matter.
“We will not rest until we have recovered all missing persons and brought those responsible to justice,” he said.
