- LHC ordered release of 320 PTI workers detained across Punjab
- The PTI workers were arrested during the Jail Bahro Tehreek
- The activists were detained under MPO
Lahore High Court ordered the release of 320 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders and workers arrested during the ‘Jail Bahro Tehreek’.
Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh heard against the detention orders of 320 PTI leaders and activists detained from across the province under Section 3 of the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, 1960.
The court sought a reply from the Punjab government and respondents by March 7. At the outset, the judge asked the PTI lawyers how the arrests were illegal when they had started the movement.
The PTI counsel replied that they are political prisoners and cannot be held like criminals. The judge replied that political workers will be arrested if they asked for it. He said that if they want to be released, then it is illegal to keep them even for a minute.
The court ordered the public prosecutor to take instructions from the Punjab government within fifteen minutes, saying that no one can be detained illegally even for a minute without their will. “Quickly find out as very minute is precious in the eyes of the law for the detainees,” the judge said.
PTI lawyers Fawad Chaudhry and Zazar Iqbal gave arguments against the orders of detention of 320 PTI leaders and workers arrested from Punjab.
The PTI has now suspended the Jail Bahro Tehreek to court arrest and pill prisons as part of its agitation against the government to conduct general elections. On Feb 27, the court was told that nine leaders of the PTI arrested during the party’s ‘jail bharo tehreek’ had been detained for 30 days.
Reports filed by the Punjab home and prison departments revealed that PTI vice chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi had been detained in the jail of Attock, secretary general Asad Umar in Rajanpur, former governor Umar Sarfraz Cheema in Bhakkar, Senator Waleed Iqbal in Layyah, Senator Azam Swati in Rahim Yar Khan, Murad Raas in D.G Khan, Muhammad Khan Madani in Bahawalpur, Azam Khan Niazi and Ahsan Dogar in Layyah.
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