LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday expressed its astonishment over the habeas corpus petitions filed by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and others for the release of the leaders who courted arrests in connection with the ‘Jail Bharo Tehreek’ launched by the party chairman Imran Khan.

“Why are you playing with the courts? First you asked the police to make the arrests and now you have come to the courts. What is the urgency in the matter?” Justice Chaudhry Shehram Sarwar asked the lawyers of the PTI and the family members of the arrested leaders.

The courtroom echoed with laughter when a lawyer argued that the arrests were symbolic and the petitions were not filed for bail but for protection of fundamental rights of the detained leaders.

Zain Qureshi, son of PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi, said the police did not arrest him, but his father was held, adding that he was not even allowed to meet the former foreign minister.

On a lighter note, Justice Sarwar asked Zain to violate the section 144 imposed by the government and get himself arrested to join his father. At this, the courtroom once again resounded with laughter.

Advocate Waqar Mushtaq, counsel for a petitioner, said the police arrested more than 100 leaders and workers of the PTI.

The judge observed that apparently the petitioners were concerned at shifting of the arrested persons to jails outside Lahore.

“Why don’t they [the PTI leaders] request the home secretary to detain them at their homes, so they could enjoy all facilities,” the judge asked the counsel.

The petitioner’s lawyers insisted the court summon reports on the arrests from the police immediately. However, Justice Sarwar directed the police to submit reports on Feb 27.

The judge also directed the police to produce the detention orders, if issued, against the PTI leaders.

The main petition was filed by Senator Ejaz Chaudhry, the steering head of the court-arrest movement, alleging the police illegally detained the party leaders, including Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Central Secretary General Asad Umar, Senator Waleed Iqbal, former governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema, Senator Azam Swati, Murad Raas, Muhammad Khan Madni, Azam Khan Niazi and Ahsaan Dogar.

The senator alleged that the lives of the PTI detained leaders were at stake and they would suffer an irreparable loss and injury if not recovered from the “illegal” and “unlawful” detention.

The petitioner asked the court to get the PTI leaders recovered from the police custody and set them at liberty.

Meanwhile, wife of PTI Secretary General Asad Umar also filed a separate habeas corpus petition in the LHC for the recovery of her husband.

Petitioner Sufia Fatima asked the court to set aside the detention order issued by the district government against her husband.

Published in Dawn, February 25th, 2023