ISLAMABAD Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the previous ruling party, was relieved on Friday when the Islamabad High Court (IHC) ruled that the deputy commissioners’ authority to imprison anyone under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) was unconstitutional.
Several PTI leaders and employees, including senior leader Shehryar Afridi and vice chairman Shah, have been detained under the 3-MPO in recent days. In contrast, the PTI believes that the police activities deny equal opportunities ahead of the general elections on February 8.
Judge Babar Sattar’s lone bench in the IHC has delayed the decision until November 23 regarding the two distinct petitions filed by PTI leaders Shehryar Afridi and Shandana Gulzar against them.
The court’s decision, which was made public today, declared that the federal cabinet alone should have the authority to issue 3-MPOs and that the deputy commissioner in Islamabad lacked such authority.
The PTI leaders’ arguments were concluded by the court, which ruled that Section 18 of the 3-MPO 1980 was unlawful.
It is important to note that both individuals were detained under Section 3 of the MPO for their suspected participation in the May 9 riots, which broke out following the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan.
On May 16, Afridi was initially taken into custody from his home in Islamabad. On May 30, in spite of a release order, he was taken into custody again under the same section.
On August 3, the Rawalpindi bench of the Lahore High Court granted bail to the PTI politician. But after being released from Adiala jail, he was not free for long, as Rawalpindi police arrested him again.
Meanwhile, on August 9, Gulzar was purportedly apprehended by Islamabad police.
On August 16, the IHC ordered the immediate release of the PTI politicians, thereby suspending their detention orders. The district magistrate in Islamabad was prohibited by the court from issuing MPO arrest warrants until further directives.
