No respite for PTI leaders as crackdown continues

Despite IHC orders, Shireen Mazari arrested for third time; Maleeka Ali Bokhari also rounded up

ISLAMABAD:

There appears to be no respite in the crackdown on PTI leaders as despite a local court in Islamabad on Tuesday ordering the release of party’s female leaders Shireen Mazari and Senator Falak Naz arrested in a case registered at the federal capital's Tarnol police station, the former was rounded up again for a third time.

Separately, a PTI spokesperson claimed that party leader Maleeka Ali Bokhari had been arrested again after her release from Adiala Jail and taken to an undisclosed location.

Police has abducted @ShireenMazari1 again. This is a clear violation of order given Islamabad High Court prohibiting her arrest until hearing tomorrow. There’s no respect for Courts anymore by this regime!
pic.twitter.com/pLuznmqvVW

— PTI (@PTIofficial) May 17, 2023

Even though the Islamabad police refuted this claim, Express News has acquired a video of her arrest.

Punjab Police outside my house despite court order pic.twitter.com/Jp3NGnPct4

— Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir (@ImaanZHazir) May 17, 2023

Earlier, the police presented Mazari and Naz in the court of Judicial Magistrate Muhammad Shabbir under tight security and requested their physical remand for three days.

They told the court that a case had been registered against both of them under the provisions of murder and brandishing weapons.

Read Imran condemns 'illegal arrests, abductions' of PTI workers

However, after hearing the arguments of lawyers from both sides, discharged the case against both the PTI female leaders.

Punjab Police arrested Dr @ShireenMazari1 just now from her house despite order from IHC not to arrest her until tomorrow pic.twitter.com/xUJUI1tjam

— Usama Khilji (@UsamaKhilji) May 17, 2023

Speaking to the media on the occasion, Mazari said the high court had ordered her release but she was arrested again from the second gate of Adiala Jail.

She added that she was first placed in the Diplomatic Enclave and then the Secretariat police station.

Later, Islamabad High Court's Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb ordered not to arrest Mazari and Naz in any case so far.

Their lawyer, Advocate Zainab Janjua, said Mazari and Naz were presented before a judicial magistrate, who had discharged the case against her clients.

She added that if there was no other case against her clients, the court should stop the police from arresting them.

The court sought the details of the case from the police.

It ordered the provincial governments not to “illegally” arrest the two PTI leaders in any case so far and adjourned the hearing till Thursday (today).

However, Mazari was arrested by the Islamabad police again for a third time.

In a related development, IHC's Justice Aurangzeb, on a petition filed by PTI leaders Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Musarrat Cheema, Asad Umar, Saifullah Niazi and Ejaz Chaudhry, sought the records of their arrest under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) from the Islamabad deputy commissioner.

The court also adjourned the cases of  Qureshi and Cheema till May 18, while the hearing of others till May 19.

On the same day, IHC’s Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir ordered that the wife of arrested PTI leader Shehryar Afridi, who was rounded up under the MPO, should be brought before the court.

My house arrest request was accommodated because of a health condition, Asthma & severe strain on my lower back.

Now I am being arrested again from Ziauddin hospital & taken to Jacobababd jail.

Am I being punished for saying positive things about our armed forces or condemning… pic.twitter.com/L6KJvP3ZWa

— Ali Haider Zaidi (@AliHZaidiPTI) May 17, 2023

The judge also summoned the Islamabad IGP, deputy commissioner as well as district magistrate and adjourned the hearing till Thursday.

Separately, different judges of the Lahore High Court released over 100 of around 900 PTI activists and leaders by suspending their detention orders.

(With input from our correspondent in Lahore)