The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has issued notices to former army chief Gen (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa, former chief of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Lt Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed, and others on an application for registration of a case in the FIA.

The court was hearing the case of breach of the legal barrier and misrepresentation of various events after their retirement.

The court also issued a notice to the FIA on an application submitted to it for registration of a case against Gen Bajwa and Lt Gen Hameed.

Journalists Javed Chaudhry, Shahid Maitla, PEMRA, the Press Association of Pakistan were also issued notices in the case.

IHC Chief Justice Aamir Farooq issued a written order on the request of citizen Atif Ali. According to the petitioner, no action was taken despite repeated requests after filing of an application for the registration of a case against the retired army officials with the FIA, the court order stated.

Articles written by journalists Javed Chaudhry and Shahid Maitla were also made part of the petition.

The petitioner wrote that when he saw the articles, he was shocked to see how the “mafia” was polluting the society. Criminal behaviour had come to light in the guise of freedom of speech, hence an application was filed to register a case against it.

The criminal act was carried out with the connivance of General (retd) Bajwa and Lt Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed. Both have crossed the legal barrier and should be convicted of a serious crime, he maintained.

The petitioner requested the court to order the FIA to take action against the individuals named.

The verdict further said that the petitioner's counsel adopted the stance that the FIA should be ordered to register a case and take action.