Bushra Bibi, Najam Saqib audio leak: High Court decisions suspended

Wife of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Imran Khan Bushra Bibi And during the hearing of the government’s appeal regarding the audio leaks of former Chief Justice Saqib Nisar’s son Najam Saqib. Supreme Court of Pakistan has suspended the decision of the Islamabad High Court and prevented it from taking further action.

The appeal was heard by a two-member bench of the Supreme Court comprising Justice Aminuddin Khan and Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan on Monday.

The federal government had filed an appeal in the Supreme Court on July 6, 2024, in petitions against audio leaks related to former first lady Bushra Bibi and former Chief Justice Saqib Nisar’s son Mian Najamul Thaqib. Islamabad High Court It was requested to annul the order dated 25th June of the same year.

This plea has been accepted today and the Islamabad High Court has been restrained from taking further action in the matter.

During the hearing, Justice Aminuddin Khan inquired whether the High Court has determined who is recording the audio. The Additional Attorney General replied that it has not yet been determined and the investigation is ongoing.

Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan said that ‘unfortunately no one wants to reach the truth in this country, an inquiry commission was formed to find out the truth, it was given an injunction by the Supreme Court. It happened, when the parliament tried to know the truth, it was also stopped, neither the parliament will be allowed to work nor the court, how will the truth come out?’

On this, Justice Aminuddin Khan said that ‘it is also possible that those who are being talked to have leaked the audio, has this aspect been seen? Nowadays, every mobile phone has a recording system.

Later, the Supreme Court accepted the appeals of the federal government and issued notices to Najam Saqib and Bushra Bibi.

Background of the case

A bench comprising Justice Babar Sattar of the Islamabad High Court had on June 25 rejected the request of the Additional Attorney General for an in-chamber hearing, terming any process of phone tapping without due process as ‘illegal’.

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Later, Justice Babar Sattar adjourned the trial.

The federal government filed an appeal in the Supreme Court against the order of Justice Babar Sattar of the Islamabad High Court, in which questions were raised on the legal validity of the one-member bench of the High Court and the justification of the June 25 decision.

In the government’s appeal, it was said that the High Court bench gave the decision using the power of ex parte notice without the plea of ​​the parties, which is against the law.

The alleged audio conversation of Mian Najam Saqib, the son of former Chief Justice Saqib Nisar, with his friends regarding some financial matters for contesting the Punjab Assembly seat went viral on electronic and social media.

After the alleged audio leaks went viral and the discussion in the National Assembly took place, the Speaker National Assembly took notice and formed a special committee to investigate Najamul Thaqib, which was challenged in the Islamabad High Court. .

The Islamabad High Court restrained the committee from proceeding against Najam Saqib regarding the investigation of the alleged audio leaks between the former Chief Justice’s son and a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf ticket holder in May 2024 and also suspended the notice of summoning him before the committee. was