PESHAWAR: A Peshawar High Court bench on Friday stopped the federal and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa law-enforcement agencies, including police, from arresting former woman lawmaker of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insafand independent election candidate Shandana Gulzar Khan in any of the cases registered against her until further orders.

Also, Justice Syed Arshad Ali and Justice Wiqar Ahmad directed the federal and provincial governments to produce details of the cases registered against Ms Shandana by the police, Federal Investigation Agency, anti-corruption establishment and other law-enforcement agencies.

It ordered the fixing of the case for hearing next week.

Ms Shandana, who was an MNA on reserved seats for women during the last PTI-led federal government, has filed a petition seeking orders of the court for the federal and KP governments to provide her with details of the cases against her so that she could approach the relevant courts for relief.

Rejects govt’s plea to cancel bail of ex-minister Ali Mohammad

Senior lawyer and spokesperson for the PTI Mohammad Muazzam Butt appeared for the petitioner and said the petitioner was a PTI nominee for the National Assembly seat of NA-30 Peshawar.

He added that her client was a law-abiding citizen and had never been involved in any illegal activity.

The lawyer said as the petitioner had been contesting election for a general seat, she needed to approach people for votes.

He contended that looking at the prevalent practice of police and other law-enforcement agencies of registering cases against leaders of the PTI and arresting them, the petitioner feared that she might be arrested in any case about which she didn’t have any information.

Mr Butt argued that after the May 9 violent protests, Islamabad’s district administration had issued orders for the former lawmaker under the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, but the Islamabad High Court set them aside.

He added that the petitioner was entitled to several fundamental rights in light of articles 4, 9, 10, 14 and 19-A of the Constitution, so she should be informed about FIRs, if any, registered against her.

The bench directed additional advocate general Danyal Asad Chamkani to produce details of cases registered against her on the next hearing.

The petitioner has included the federal interior secretary and KP home secretary along with different law enforcing agencies as respondents in the petition.

PLEA REJECTED: A bench consisting of Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim rejected the petition of KP government to cancel the bail of former federal minister and PTI leader Ali Mohammad Khan as granted by an anti-corruption court in a case registered against him and several other former lawmakers by the anti-corruption establishment on May 10.

The ACE had alleged that Ali Mohammad and other former MNAs and MPAs of Mardan district were involved in illegal appointments in the fisheries department during the last PTI government in the province.

It added that those appointments cost the exchequer Rs2.35 million.

Ali Mohammad was granted bail by the special (anti-corruption) court on June 27.

An additional advocate general appeared for the provincial government and insisted that there was enough evidence against Ali Mohammad in the case but the subordinate court erred in granting bail to him.

Ali Mohammad was re-arrested multiple times after the May 9 violent protests by the PTI leaders and workers across the country.

Initially, he was arrested by the Islamabad police under Section 3 of the MPO Ordinance on May 11. After he was granted bail by the Islamabad High Court, he was arrested again under the MPO Ordinance on the orders of Rawalpindi’s district administration.

Later, another order of his detention was issued under the MPO Ordinance by Peshawar’s deputy commissioner. He was later named in several other cases but was released on July 27 on court orders after 80 days long detention.

Published in Dawn, January 20th, 2024