ISLAMABAD: A high court in Pakistan on Wednesday ordered the immediate release of two of former prime minister Imran Khan’s close aides who had been arrested by the police under the maintenance of public order (MPO) law in the wake of the May 9 riots in the country.
Shehryar Afridi and Shandana Gulzar, both prominent members of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, were detained in connection with violent protests that broke out in different parts of Pakistan in May following the ex-PM’s brief arrest on corruption charges in Islamabad.
Afridi was initially arrested on May 16 from his residence in the federal capital but was released about two weeks later. Soon after that, he was rearrested by the authorities on May 30 and was subsequently granted bail by the Lahore High Court on August 3. As soon as he stepped out of Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, however, the police decided to detain him once again. His lawyers filed a plea against his repeated detention by going to the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
Gulzar’s mother, on the other hand, filed a petition at the IHC, saying her daughter was “illegally arrested” on August 9 while asking the police to produce her in court. A plea against both leaders’ detention was heard by the IHC on Wednesday.
“The court has suspended the detention of Sheharyar Afridi and Shandana Gulzar, terming it illegal, and allowed them to go home,” Advocate Sher Afzal Marwat, who represented the two PTI leaders, told Arab News.
“The detention of the duo was illegal,” he continued, “and the court granted us relief while ordering to initiate punitive action against all those involved in it.”
Marwat added the court had also decided to indict the deputy commissioner and a senior superintendent of police for violating its order in a case related to the MPO law wherein it had declared the arrest of PTI leaders as “illegal.” The court also asked the authorities not to arrest former PTI ministers in previously undisclosed cases.
A day ago, the IHC also issued legal notices to the inspector-general of police, the chief commissioner of Islamabad, and other officials for “criminal contempt of court” by rearresting the petitioner repeatedly despite its orders.
Khan’s arrest in a land fraud case on May 9 had sparked widespread protests by his supporters who ransacked, among other properties, military facilities, and installations.
While the cricketer-turned-politician was released shortly afterward, several of his party leaders were arrested following the incident, many of whom decided to part ways with the party or announced to quit politics altogether after their release from prison.
The military and government vowed that those who attacked army installations, including a top general’s official residence in Lahore, would be tried in military courts. Khan’s party and others have filed petitions challenging the legality of civilian trials under army laws.
The PTI highlighted the plight of its arrested leaders earlier in the day, naming Dr. Yasmin Rashid, Aliya Hamza Malik, Mian Mahmoodur Rashid, Omar Sarfaraz Cheema and Ejaz Chaudhry who have spent 100 days in the custody of law enforcement agencies since their arrest.
Other prominent politicians and individuals under detention since the May 9 violence include former Punjab chief minister Parvaiz Elahi, journalist Imran Riaz Khan and fashion designer Khadija Shah.
Afridi and Gulzar spent 93 and six days in the lockup before being released on high court orders.
