Pakistan: Islamabad’s IG faces contempt over re-arresting of Imran’s party leaders despite restraining orders

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday issued a notice to Inspector General of Police (IGP) of Islamabad Dr Akbar Nasir Khan and sought an explanation why the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders were re-arrested when the court had set them free on bail and passed a restraining order.

The IGP has been asked to submit a reply to the notice by Monday (May 22). The court, on the other hand, also issued a notice to the Attorney General for Pakistan Mansoor Usman Awan in the matter.

The notices were issued during the hearing of multiple pleas seeking contempt of court proceedings against police officials following the re-arrest of three PTI leaders including PTI Senior Vice-President former Minister for HR, Dr Shireen Mazari, ex-Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan and former Member National Assembly (MNA) Maleeka Bukhari after they were granted bail.

The three politicians were re-arrested after being granted relief by the IHC that had asked the authorities not to arrest them again. However, they were apprehended by the Punjab Police.

Shireen Mazari was taken into custody on Wednesday night hours after she was released by a local court. Ali Mohammad Khan and Maleek Bukhari, too, were re-arrested when they were coming out of the Adiala Jail.

101 ways to flout court’s orders

Justice Aurangzeb expressed concerns over the cases being registered against the political opponents of the government and remarked the police were trying to “defeat the court’s writ.”

Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb voiced his dismay over the police’s ‘stubbornness’ and said they had 101 ways of disregarding the orders of the court.

Leaders taken away under MPO

The IGP’s counsel submitted that Shireen Mazari and other leaders were taken away by the Punjab police under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO). To this, the judge asked, “Why was Shireen Mazari handed over to the Punjab Police, despite the court’s orders?”

The judge asked the IGP if the Punjab Police was called in deliberately knowing very well that they (the Islamabad police) were ordered by the court not to arrest the PTI politician.

“The Punjab Police cannot arrest anyone directly from Islamabad. In hindsight, the Islamabad Police cannot separate itself from it,” the judge observed.

President urges Imran to condemn May 9 incident

President Dr Arif Alvi, in a TV interview has asked former Prime Minister and Chairman of the PTI Imran Khan to come forward clearly and condemn the violence triggered on May 9 in the wake of his arrest.

In a private news channel’s interview, the president stressed the need for bringing those involved in the May 9 mayhem including the attack on Lahore’s Jinnah House and military installations across the country—to justice.

However, in the same breath the president said the incidents should be thoroughly and independently investigated. President Alvi called upon the authorities to take into account concerns of human rights (HR) bodies and avoid torture in the crackdown on those involved in the May 9 violence.

I have written a letter to the army chief and expressed my grief over the May 9 violence and the attacks on the military installations, said the president.

He pointed out that the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) senior leader Raza Rabbani had also opposed military courts and demanded the May 9 culprits be tried by the civil judiciary. “This is a good tradition and politicians should discuss this matter,” he added.