Latest news with #FarhatullahBabar
Express Tribune
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
IHC stops FIA from harassing Farhatullah Babar
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday stopped the FIA from harassing former senator Farhatullah Babar and issued notices to the relevant parties, seeking their replies by the last week of this month. IHC Justice Inam Amin Minhas heard the petition filed by Babar through lawyers Iman Mazari and Hadi Ali Chatha under Article 199. The Interior Ministry, the FIA and others have been made parties in the petition. The petition stated that an FIA inquiry was initiated on March 25 on the complaints of "suspected corruption, tax evasion and acquisition of illegal assets" from a citizen, whom the petitioner did not know.
Business Recorder
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Farhatullah's petition: IHC issues notices to FIA, ministry, others
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) barred the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) from harassing former Senator Farhatullah Babar. A single bench of Justice Raja Inaam Ameen Minhas on Thursday after hearing the initial arguments on Babar's petition issued notices to the FIA, the Ministry of Interior, and other respondents, directing them to submit replies by last week of June. During the hearing, Babar's lawyer argued that his client has been subjected to repeated illegal notices and summons by the FIA. He said the agency initiated an inquiry on March 25, following a citizen's complaint accusing Babar of tax evasion and acquiring illegal assets. The counsel argued that 'Babar does not know the complainant and was not provided a copy of the complaint when he appeared before the FIA on March 28, and on April 11, the FIA sent a detailed questionnaire comprising 12 questions via WhatsApp.' In his petition, the former Senator alleged that the FIA's conduct is 'unlawful, illegal, arbitrary, and mala fide'. Babar – a three-term senator, Hilal-i-Imtiaz recipient, and council member of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) – highlighted his decades-long advocacy, including efforts to regulate intelligence agencies. The petition sought to quash an anti-corruption inquiry against him, calling it a baseless 'fishing expedition' designed to harass a critic of state institutions. The FIA's Anti-Corruption Circle (ACC) initiated an inquiry based on a private complaint by Rawalpindi resident, Touseef Abbas. Babar asserted that he received no details of allegations, complaint copies, or legal basis for the probe despite repeated requests. He also asserted that the FIA's actions target his human rights advocacy. He cited a 2023 UN report documenting threats against him linked to an alleged 'Kill List'. The petitioner argued that the FIA violated due process of law provided in Articles 4, 10A, 19, 25 of the Constitution by denying access to accusations. Therefore, he requested the court to quash the inquiry and all related notices and sought direction to FIA to disclose allegations, documents, and legal basis for the probe. He also prayed that the FIA may be restrained from arresting or harassing him pending the petition's outcome.—TERENCE J SIGAMONY
Business Recorder
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Babar's plea against harassment by FIA: Urgent hearing to take place today
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) fixed for urgent hearing today (Thursday), a petition filed by ex-senator Farhatullah Babar against alleged harassment by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). The petition was filed Wednesday under Article 199 of the Constitution by advocates, Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha against the Ministry of Interior and the FIA and others as respondents, 'Seeking intervention of Court against the unlawful, illegal, arbitrary and mala fide conduct in continuously harassing the petitioner through repeated issuance of ambiguous and illegal notices and summons, in what is an illegal fishing expedition/roving enquiry by the FIA in violation of laws and principles of natural justice.' The petition said that the FIA enquiry was initiated on March 25 on the complaint of a private citizen, unknown to him, living in Morgah, Rawalpindi alleging 'suspected corruption, tax evasion and illicit asset accumulation' and he appeared before the FIA on March 28 a day before Eid holidays. No copy of the complaint was provided to him. Interestingly, on 11 April 2025, a detailed questionnaire of 12 questions was slammed at him through WhatsApp, directing him to answer them all by 7 April 2025, four days prior to receiving it. The questions delved deep into the past, requiring collecting information from multiple offices within and outside the country. Despite this, the petitioners provided answers to all the questions. Instead of acknowledging the answers provided to the questionnaire, the FIA then asked the petitioner on May 27 to explain the source of properties which it claimed to have received from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) when he served as senator and also explain some banking transactions, within five days. The petitioner rejected the alleged transactions of Rs1,500,000 in his account on 3 April 2025 and another alleged transaction of Rs3 million on 5 July 2025 (almost a month away in the future). Thereupon, the petitioner was then directed to appear in person, the petition said. Just when the petitioner prepared replies to these questions, the FIA sent him another notice by WhatsApp, asking him to appear in person, disregarding the previous notice to send written replies. A day before Eid on June 6, Farhatullah Babar uploaded on X (formerly Twitter) extracts from his replies to the FIA and said; 'Two days ago, FIA regurgitated questions already replied to by me on May 12. One Q alleged transaction of 3 M on 5-7-25 (still a month away). Just when replies were being readied, the FIA WhatsApped to appear in person next day (June 5) on eve of Eid holidays. I couldn't appear in person and sent this reply.' Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
World Press Freedom Day: Farhatullah Babar concerned at weakening of economic model of media in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Human Rights Cell President ex-Senator Farhatullah Babar expressed deep concern over the weakening of the economic model of media undermining press freedoms. On the eve of the World Press Freedom Day on Saturday, the President Human Rights Cell of the PPP ex-Senator Farhatullah Babar in his statement said, 'It is a grim thought that on the World Press Freedom Day today Pakistan, according to the 'Reporters Without Borders' has earned the dubious distinctions of joining the ranks of those 42 countries where either there is no press freedom at all or if there is some semblance of it the profession of journalism has become 'most dangerous' occupation. He said, 'It is no less an agonizing thought that according to the same report Pakistan touched a new low of ranking 158 in terms of freedom of press in the comity of nations and is bracketed with Afghanistan and some other countries facing a 'very serious situation' in respect of freedom of press. The dubious distinctions places Pakistan almost at par with Palestine, at serial 163 on the scorecard, where Israeli forces killed nearly two hundred journalists during the last 18 months, 42 of them during the performance of their journalistic duties. Farhatullah Babar said that the year 2025 started on a most inauspicious note for journalists as it began with changes to the PECA law that has exposed journalists reporting online to intimidation, harassment and subjected to grave abuse of judicial processes by the FIA with impunity and without accountability, as never before. Farhatullah Babar called upon the political parties and members of Parliament to ensure implementation of section 53 of the PECA Act and compel the FIA to place six monthly reports before Parliament detailing the actions taken by it under the PECA. He said that the failure of the Parliament to do so has emboldened the FIA to get away with torturing and humiliating journalists with total impunity. This situation cannot and must not be allowed to persist, he said. He said that it also strongly condemns the blatant advertising restrictions on some media outlets by the government who refuse to peddle the 'official truth and official narrative. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
World Press Freedom Day: Farhatullah Babar concerned at weakening of economic model of media
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Human Rights Cell President ex-Senator Farhatullah Babar expressed deep concern over the weakening of the economic model of media undermining press freedoms. On the eve of the World Press Freedom Day on Saturday, the President Human Rights Cell of the PPP ex-Senator Farhatullah Babar in his statement said, 'It is a grim thought that on the World Press Freedom Day today Pakistan, according to the 'Reporters Without Borders' has earned the dubious distinctions of joining the ranks of those 42 countries where either there is no press freedom at all or if there is some semblance of it the profession of journalism has become 'most dangerous' occupation. He said, 'It is no less an agonizing thought that according to the same report Pakistan touched a new low of ranking 158 in terms of freedom of press in the comity of nations and is bracketed with Afghanistan and some other countries facing a 'very serious situation' in respect of freedom of press. The dubious distinctions places Pakistan almost at par with Palestine, at serial 163 on the scorecard, where Israeli forces killed nearly two hundred journalists during the last 18 months, 42 of them during the performance of their journalistic duties. Farhatullah Babar said that the year 2025 started on a most inauspicious note for journalists as it began with changes to the PECA law that has exposed journalists reporting online to intimidation, harassment and subjected to grave abuse of judicial processes by the FIA with impunity and without accountability, as never before. Farhatullah Babar called upon the political parties and members of Parliament to ensure implementation of section 53 of the PECA Act and compel the FIA to place six monthly reports before Parliament detailing the actions taken by it under the PECA. He said that the failure of the Parliament to do so has emboldened the FIA to get away with torturing and humiliating journalists with total impunity. This situation cannot and must not be allowed to persist, he said. He said that it also strongly condemns the blatant advertising restrictions on some media outlets by the government who refuse to peddle the 'official truth and official narrative. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
