IHC terms FIA report in judge’s intimidation case unsatisfactory

Justice Babar Sattar of Islamabad High Court filed a case against KP Director Anti-Corruption Siddique Anjum and others accusing them of orchestrating a social media campaign against District and Sessions Judge Humayun Dilawar. 

In 2023, Humayun Dilawar convicted and sentenced former prime minister Imran Khan in the Toshakhana case on a complaint filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). 

In the aftermath of the court’s decision and after the case was transferred to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Judge Dilawar and his family faced increased intimidation allegedly specifically as ACE KP government officials lodged an FIR in a land-related matter against Judge Dilawar and his family. 

During the investigation of this case, the Federal Investigation Authority (FIA) registered a separate case against ACE KP officials who were allegedly found attempting to discredit Judge Humayun Dilawar via social media with the help of a vlogger. In proceedings, the FIA submitted a report to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) detailing how government officials in KP were using social media to target a member of the judiciary for his involvement in convicting former prime minister Imran Khan. 

Justice Babar Sattar of the IHC, upon receiving the report deemed it ‘unsatisfactory’ and reprimanded the FIA for their tone and format, claiming that there was inconsistency in the complaint and a lack of understanding of the proper judicial procedure.