Irked by JIT probe into Arshad's killing, SC mulls judicial body.

ISLAMABAD -- The Supreme Court has hinted at forming a judicial commission for the probe into Arshad Sharif's killing after judges agreed that the team earlier formed for this task failed to make any significant headway.

The hearing of the suo motu notice by the chief justice into the killing resumed on Friday after more than a month. During the proceedings, Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial conceded that no progress has been made in the investigation.

The CJP recalled that the mother of the slain journalist and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had requested the court to appoint a judicial commission, but it ordered the constitution of a JIT as unlike the investigation, no confidentiality was attached to the commission's proceedings.

On Friday, the victim's mother questioned the SC's role in the investigation, pleading that the suo motu hearing amounted to supervising the Special Joint Investigation Team's probe.

Late journalist's mother questions role of court in 'supervising' investigation

She added that this was contrary to settled laws that superior courts should not oversee investigations.

'In my humble opinion with bonafide intent [that] the hearing amounts to supervising the investigations,' argued former judge Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui, the counsel of Mr Sharif's mother.

The counsel argued that the issue of the registration of FIR as per the family's will must be resolved or in case of refusal, the family could approach the Justice of Peace under Section 22-A of the Criminal Procedure Code.

He remarked that the case involved the entire journalist community since Mr Sharif was not only a journalist but also a citizen of Pakistan and an important personality.

The justice of peace is a sessions judge with powers to issue directions to the police on any complaint regarding non-registration of FIR or negligence or failure by police in an investigation or other proceedings.

The CJP observed that the court waited for over five months after the tragic incident took place on Oct 23, 2022. It only initiated suo motu proceedings since no progress was made as the matter involved Pakistan and two foreign territories, CJP Bandial observed.

This incident terrorises the entire journalist community since lessons could be drawn from what happened to him, the CJP observed.

While referring to the concerns raised by the victim's mother, the CJP emphasised the court was not supervising the investigation.

He added that the court's relationship with...

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