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PTI’s Shehryar Afridi and Shandana Gulzar set free after IHC suspends MPO orders

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12 months ago

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  • Afridi was first arrested from his Islamabad residence on May 16.
  • Gulzar was allegedly “picked up” by Islamabad police on Aug 9.
  • Court also orders contempt of court proceedings DC Islamabad.

The detention orders against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) politicians, Shehryar Afridi and Shandana Gulzar, were Wednesday suspended with the Islamabad High Court (IHC) ordering their immediate release.

The two PTI leaders were held in custody by the Islamabad Police under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance, which was slashed by the court during the hearing of pleas filed seeking Afridi and Gulzar’s release.

Both politicians were held by law enforcement for their alleged involvement in the May 9 riots, which were triggered after the arrest of PTI chief Imran Khan earlier this year.

Afridi was first arrested from his Islamabad residence under Section 3 of the MPO Ordinance, 1960, on May 16. Despite a release order, he was immediately rearrested under the same section on May 30.

The PTI politician was then granted bail by the Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi bench on August 3. But his freedom was short-lived as Rawalpindi police once again took him into custody following his release from Adiala jail.

In response to his arrest, the former minister’s lawyer filed a plea in the IHC, requesting his release as well as the revocation of the MPO order.

Meanwhile, Gulzar was allegedly picked up by Islamabad police on August 9, after which her mother filed a petition in the IHC.

During today’s hearing, IHC’s directives also included contempt of court proceedings against the federal capital’s deputy commissioner.

Justice Babar Sattar of the IHC asked Afridi if he had a house in the capital city, to which the politician replied in affirmative and was allowed to go home. The court also ordered Gulzar’s immediate release but restricted her movement within Islamabad.

If anything happened to Gulzar, the judge said, the Islamabad Inspector General Akbar Nasir Khan and chief commissioner will be responsible.

Afridi, who was in police custody on multiple charges, appeared in the court along with his lawyer Sher Afzal Marwat, carrying a copy of the Holy Quran.

Justice Babar Sattar, during the hearing of the case, summoned Islamabad deputy commissioner to the rostrum and sought details regarding the events of May 9.

According to intelligence reports, the DC said, the politician provoked people. The DC added there are reports of Afridi’s involvement in planning the attack on the district courts in the party’s campaign against the judiciary.

Justice Sattar inquired the DC how Afridi provoked people despite being in jail.

“My eyes and ears are only intelligence reports, the DC said in his response.

When the court inquired from the Station House Officer (SHO) what information he had about Afridi planning the attack, he said someone else was in charge.

The judge asked the same question from the District Police Officer. “I was on leave at the time,” the officer said.

The court then asked the DC if a response to the show cause notice was filed. “Yes, sir. A written reply has been filed,” he responded.

When the IHC judge enquired police officials about the events of May 8 in the federal capital, Islamabad IG said action is taken on the basis of apprehensions before the incident takes place.

“We took these actions to maintain the law and order situation,” he said.

Justice Sattar termed the Special Branch’s report a “joke”, seeking the notification which allowed the arrest of the PTI politician.

Tahir Kazim, the counsel for the Senior Superintendent of Police, told the court that the reasons for quashing the first MPO orders were different.

Responding to his argument, the court said that detention orders were issued after the arrest. Action on threat alerts is based on apprehension, it added.

Justice Sattar also extended the court’s displeasure over Afridi’s repeated arrests in light of the 3MPO order and declared it “void”.

He also termed the response of the SSP operations as unsatisfactory, ordering for him to be charged as well and also ordered contempt of court action against the DC.

In his remarks, Justice Sattar said that the charge will be framed against the Deputy Commissioner Islamabad.

The court later inquired about Afridi’s meetings during his detention in the Adiala jail from the jail superintendent.

The hearing of the case was adjourned for 2 weeks.

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Containers were used to seal the Red Zone before JI’s sit-in at D-Chowk.

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Authorities in Islamabad have blocked off the Red Zone by erecting containers in front of today’s (Friday) Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) demonstration and the Jamaat-i-Islami sit-in at D-Chowk in Islamabad.

Jamaat-i-Islami is scheduled to stage a sit-in at Islamabad’s D-Chowk, and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has declared a nationwide protest against the country’s soaring inflation and recent spike in electricity rates.

Containers have been used to block access to the Red Zone’s main crossroads, D Chowk, Nadra Chowk, and Sarina Chowk.

ISLAMABAD, PUNJAB SECTION 144

In the meantime, in response to PTI and JI plans for statewide rallies, the federal and Punjabi governments enforced Section 144 in Islamabad and Punjab. Section 144 will be in force from Friday, July 26 to Sunday, July 28, per the notification that was released in this regard.

Rallies, sit-ins, protests, and rallies are prohibited from July 26 to July 28, according to a letter from the Home Department. It said that terrorists may find public gatherings to be an easy target and stated that the decision had been made with the threat of terrorism in mind.

In contrast, JI Secretary General Ameerul Azeem claimed in a statement that police had raided the residences of JI officials across the nation.

In an attempt to break up the protest, he said, police had targeted JI leaders and activists. He also alleged that multiple instances of police raids, arrests, and harassment of women had occurred in various towns.

GOVT ADVISED

The government was forewarned by Jamaat Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman earlier on Thursday that it would face consequences if the party was barred from accessing Islamabad for their scheduled demonstration against inflation and an increase in electricity prices.

He stated in a statement that their belief is in peaceful political protest as a means of securing public rights. “We are not afraid of arrests, and the Jamaat-e-Islami cannot be stopped,” he added.

“The historic sit-in on Friday, July 26, will represent 250 million people of Pakistan, and we will sit peacefully at D-Chowk.”

According to the JI, convoys are in route from all around the nation to participate in the sit-in. He encouraged the administration to offer a location for the protest, highlighting that it is their constitutional and democratic right to speak up for the country.

“Any political party that wishes to participate” was invited, and he welcomed them all.

Prior to the sit-in, police raided the residences of JI leaders and officials in many parts of Punjab and Rawalpindi, making multiple arrests.

Ameerul Azim, the central secretary general of Jamaat-e-Islami, was not able to be arrested during the police raid; instead, Shaukat Mahmood, his driver, was taken into custody.

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The Socioeconomic Registry of Punjab. Real data gathering is essential to effective governance. Maryam

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Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the chief minister of Punjab, announced that the province will introduce the “Apna Ghar Scheme,” adding that accurate data collecting is necessary in order to provide social security to the impoverished.

At the Punjab Socio-Economic Registry’s opening event in Lahore, the Maryam announced that the province’s government has started the “Roshan Gharana” project, which aims to provide 4.5 million individuals with solar panels on manageable installment plans.

Maryam Nawaz, who emphasized the necessity of centralized data, stated that data has become increasingly important in recent years since it makes basic amenities more accessible and aids in the classification of the poor.

She stated that several initiatives are being taken by the Punjabi government to assist those with disabilities.

The Punjab government, led by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, is dedicated to providing relief to the poor, according to Senior Provincial Minister Punjab Marriyum Aurangzeb, who spoke on the occasion.

The government, she noted, is concentrating on health and education services.

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The ECP asks the SC to clarify the ruling in the PTI reserved seat case.

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2 days ago

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Seeking clarity on a court ruling concerning the allotment of particular seats to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) moved the Supreme Court on Monday.

ECP members reportedly agreed unanimously on the SC’s decision to consult the SC.

Particularly cited under Paragraph 10 of the Supreme Court ruling, the ECP has called attention to vagueness in the ruling. In order to determine which body is in charge of party certificate issuance, the ECP is asking the Supreme Court for advice.

Concerning the validity of PTI’s party structure, the ECP pointed out that the organisation hasn’t held internal elections.

In the lack of distinct party organisation and intra-party elections, there is ambiguity over which certifications hold recognition.

Position of ECP

The absence of intra-party elections, according to ECP sources, prevents Tehreek-e-Insaaf from operating as a legitimate organisation.

A plea for clarification on party certificate authority and recognition has been made to the Supreme Court by the ECP.

Resolving the existing ambiguity and guaranteeing proper electoral processes will depend on the Supreme Court’s clarity on these issues.

Continue reading: ECP orders implementation of SC ruling regarding PTI reserved seats

Previous to this, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) reserved seat verdict will be implemented, according to a Friday announcement made by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) of Pakistan.

On Friday, a meeting of ECP members was chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja.

If the SC ruling is being carried out with any judicial decision becoming a roadblock, ECP has resolved to seek guidance from the judges in the room.

“The Supreme Court will be consulted for additional guidance in the event of any obstacles,” the ECP statement stated.

ECP declines resignation demand and political party criticism.

The chief election commissioner and members have been the target of persistent attack from a political party, which the highest electoral authority has sharply denounced. No political name was mentioned by the ECP.

The ECP called the demand for resignation from the party “absurd” and rejected the political party’s unjustified criticism, which had been made continuously.

Regardless of the pressure, the statement said, ECP would keep up its adherence to the law and the Constitution.

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