PHC reprimands cops for re-arresting ex-MPA Rangrez
Video shows PTI leader Shehryar Afridi in torn clothes, exhausted as his lawyers offered him water. SCREENGRAB
Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Ibrahim Khan has reprimanded the police officers for re-arresting former PTI MPA Rangez Khan from the court premises after he was granted bail, saying that there cannot be any compromise on the dignity of the high court.
“If the law will not be followed, then it is the law of the jungle. If I cannot give justice to anyone, then I have no right to sit in this chair. If Rangez had not been presented today, I would have resigned from my post because such an incident has never happened before in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. I am seeing for the first time that an arrest was made despite the court orders. If this happens … everyone, including the advocate general, will go home,” Chief Justice Ibrahim remarked.
The chief justice issued orders not to arrest Rangez and Asad Qaiser in any case till Aug 15.
Earlier, advocates Shah Faisal Utmankhel, Arshad Ali and Sher Afzal Marwat appeared on behalf of Rangiz and Qaiser.
However, when Rangez came out of the court, he was taken into custody, on which the lawyers of Insaf Lawyers Forum Utmankhel and others appeared in the court of Justice Ijaz Anwar, apprising the judge that despite the court order, Rangez had been arrested again.
Justice Ijaz sent the case to the chief justice and issued orders to the CCPO to appear in the court. Later, Chief Justice Ibrahim heard the case.
The SSP appeared and apprised the CJ that the CCPO could not make it because he was busy with the Police Martyrs' Day celebrations.
Chief Justice Ibrahim ordered the arrested Rangez to appear in court within half an hour. After half an hour, the hearing of the case began. Chief Justice Ibrahim reprimanded the police officials, saying: "How can the police detain an accused who has been granted bail? I was on leave, but I have been called for this incident.”
The police presented Rangez in the court.
The chief justice gave the investigation officer two options to choose from – either face contempt of court proceedings or apologise. The officer chose the latter.
Later, the court adjourned the hearing till Aug 15.
Meanwhile, PTI leader Shehryar Afridi was re-arrested by the police under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order shortly after an anti-terrorism court ordered his release.
On its official X account, the PTI stated that the former minister and his lawyers were tortured by the Punjab police outside the court.
A video showed Shehryar in torn clothes, exhausted as his lawyers offered him water. In another one, the PTI leader could be seen surrounded by a large contingent of police outside the court.
Earlier, the Rawalpindi ATC directed the authorities to release Shehryar in a case regarding the May 9 violence registered at the New Town police station.
However, the former minister was re-arrested immediately after his release on detention orders issued by Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner Hassan Waqar Cheema under Section 3 of the MPO. Shehryar was shifted to Adiala Jail.
This is said to be Shehryar’s second arrest this week. On Thursday, the PTI leader was re-arrested by the police after the Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi bench granted him bail.
Talking to the media before his arrest, Shehryar said that he was unaware of the case he was being re-arrested in.
The PTI leader’s lawyer said that the police informed them about a fresh MPO order after his client was released.