LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday directed police to release all arrested workers of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) after obtaining undertakings and personal bonds from them.

During the hearing of petitions against the arrests of the PTI workers, the government law officers submitted a report showing detention of two workers only under section 3 MPO whereas remaining alleged detainees were neither required nor detained/arrested.

Petitioners’ counsel Azhar Siddique said PTI leader Chaudhry Ijaz Ahmad was also arrested by police. However, Lahore Capital City Police Officer Bilal Siddique Kamyana denied the arrest of Mr Ahmad.

Chief Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti observed that there was a time when political workers used to offer arrests for their ideologies. He said police were also responsible for protecting the life and property of the citizens.

On a court’s query, the CCPO further said all the arrested workers, even not part of the petitions, would be set at liberty after obtaining undertaking/personal bond from them.

The chief justice disposed of the petitions after the mechanism for the release of the arrested persons offered by the CCPO was accepted by the petitioners’ counsel.

Hearing a similar petition filed by Insaf Lawyers’ Forum, Justice Chaudhry Abdul Aziz observed that the court had restrained the government from taking any illegal action against the political workers. He said the court could not restrain the government from registering a case against anyone under the law.

The judge observed that the country faced a chaos-like situation which was not good for anyone. He directed police to provide the details of the detained or arrested workers to the lawyers of the petitioner.

The judge adjourned the hearing for a week and also directed police to furnish details about the losses of the public and private properties during the previous protests held by the PTI, the Pakistan Awami Tehreek and the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan.

Separately, Justice Chaudhry Abdul Aziz sought a report from the CCPO about alleged raids being conducted at the homes of overseas Pakistanis supporting the long march of the PTI.

Overseas Pakistanis Commission’s former chairman Syed Tariq Mahmoodul Hassan filed the petition. Petitioner’s counsel Sohail Murshad stated before the court that police had been conducting raids at the homes of the overseas Pakistanis and harassing their families.

He asked court to restrain police from taking illegal action against the families of the overseas people.

The judge directed the CCPO to submit a reply by May 30.

Published in Dawn, May 26th, 2022