Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Aamer Farooq heard a petition today challenging the recent arrest of Rafaqat Tanoli, the father of Shakeel Tanoli, who was killed in a car accident in 2022. During the hearing, Chief Justice Aamer Farooq remarked, “If the law is equal for everyone, then show equality. If the police had recorded the statement, this situation would not have arisen.”
The Islamabad High Court has directed the police to record the statement of Rafaqat Tanoli, whose son Shakeel Tanoli was killed in a collision with a Lahore High Court vehicle in 2022. Chief Justice Aamer Farooq remarked during the hearing, “This is a 2022 case, and 2024 is already half over. The charge sheet has not been submitted; this is a failure of the system. Whether it’s the High Court or the government, if anyone has done something wrong, the law is equal for everyone.”
It is worth noting that Chief Justice Aamer Farooq of the Islamabad High Court heard the petition against the arrest of Rafaqat Tanoli, father of Shakeel Tanoli, who died in a car accident in 2022. During the hearing, Advocate General and IG Islamabad Ali Nasir Zaidi appeared in court.
In response to the court’s inquiry, the Advocate General stated that an FIR had been registered. The individuals were protesting and wanted to enter the Red Zone. Chief Justice Aamer Farooq remarked, “So what? Are they terrorists? Is protesting wrong?” The Advocate General said the police tried to engage with the protesters. The court remarked, “Are they terrorists that you needed to engage them? Be careful with your choice of words. What was the reason for their protest?”
IG Islamabad stated that the protesters were protesting against not receiving justice. Chief Justice Aamer Farooq remarked, “Were they wrong to protest? Has the charge sheet been submitted?” IG Islamabad replied that an interim charge sheet had been submitted.
The Chief Justice remarked, “This is a failure of the system. This is a 2022 case, and now half of 2024 has passed. IG, you are admitting the system’s failure. The police investigation was ongoing; the charge sheet should have been submitted within fourteen days. If no action is being taken, what should a person do to seek justice? Now they were protesting, so the police arrested them.”
