LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) has called upon the Director General of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to personally attend court proceedings on Monday, pertaining to a petition lodged by provincial minister and PML-N leader Azma Bukhari regarding a fake video circulating online.
Chief Justice Aalia Neelum, overseeing the session, expressed concerns over the FIA’s report submitted by Deputy Attorney General Asad Bajwa. The report drew scrutiny for the perceived incompetency of the FIA personnel assigned to the case.
During the hearing, it was revealed by the federal government’s counsel that the mobile device of the accused, Haider Ali, had undergone forensic analysis. Additionally, an FIA lawyer disclosed that Haider Ali had been apprehended by Matta Police Station, yet inconsistencies arose as Chief Justice Neelum highlighted that the FIA had requested a transit remand despite the suspect not being in their custody.
Further complicating the matter, the federal counsel announced that the accused had been granted interim bail by a Lahore sessions court. Chief Justice Neelum sharply criticized the FIA’s procedural lapses, condemning the lackluster arrest methods and emphasizing that such a flawed system would not be accepted.
The hearing was subsequently adjourned to September 23, with directives for the DG FIA to provide a comprehensive report at the next session.
