PTA & Others Heavily Fined in Bushra Bibi Audio Leaks case

Today, the Islamabad High Court Justice Babar Sattar dismissed pleas from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), and the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) in the Bushra Bibi audio leaks case. The court also imposed fines of Rs 500,000 on each of the institutions. Moreover, the Justice also hinted at starting contempt of court proceedings against the FIA.

Previously, FIA, PTA, PEMRA, and IB demanded the withdrawal of Justice Babar Sayyar from hearing the audio leaks case. In the petition, the authorities asked Justice Sattar to distance himself from the audio leaks case. PEMRA contended in the plea that the case remains pending despite its chairman appearing before the IHC numerous times. It further added that a separate bench of the IHC already decided on another case of the same nature. The petition mentioned that the same bench should also decide on this case.

“To fulfill the demands of justice, Justice Babar should excuse himself from hearing the case,” the petition maintained.

On the other hand, in one of the last hearings, the PTA chairman told Justice Sattar that 90% of mobiles have spyware through which their cameras can also be used. He explained that an Israeli company developed a software called Pegasus that infiltrates a mobile, phone adding that hacking a phone was not a difficult task. “All it takes is a minute,” he said. “If you leave the phone with me to go to the washroom, I can connect my phone to yours and acquire full access to it in the meantime,” the counsel said. Justice Babar then asked if he was saying that all the mobile phone tapping was being done illegally. In response, the counsel remained silent.

It is pertinent to mention here that former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi and the son of ex-chief justice Saqib Nisar filed petitions regarding the audio leaks, and afterward, a single bench headed by IHC of Justice Babar Sattar has been hearing their petitions.