ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has handed down a six-month prison sentence to Deputy Commissioner (DC) Irfan Nawaz Memon on Friday in a contempt case related to the detention of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders Shehryar Afridi and Shandana Gulzar under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance.

IHC judge Justice Babar Sattar announced the reserved verdict, penalizing Deputy Commissioner Irfan Nawaz Memon, Superintendent of Police (SSP) Operations Jameel Zafar, and Station House Officer (SHO) Naseer Manzoor of Kohsar Police for ordering the detention of PTI leaders under the MPO ordinance.

The court sentenced the Islamabad DC to six months in prison, the SSP to four months, and the SHO to two months. Additionally, all three individuals were fined Rs100,000 each.

However, the IHC suspended the DC’s sentence for a month, granting him time to appeal the decision.

Last August, the IHC had suspended the arrest warrants of PTI leader Shehryar Afridi under the MPO and ordered his immediate release.

On September 7, 2023, the IHC indicted Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) operations Jamil Zafar, Superintendent (SP) Farooq Buttar, and Station House Officer (SHO) Nasir Manzoor during the hearing of the case.

DC Memon and SSP Zafar pleaded not guilty and issued unconditional apologies to the court. The court also indicted SP Farooq Buttar and SHO Naseer Manzoor with contempt of court, though both denied the charges.

Afridi was initially arrested on May 16 from his Islamabad residence under Section 3 of the MPO Ordinance, 1960. He was rearrested on May 30 under the same section shortly after his release from prison.