IHC asks police to produce PTI leader

Show-cause notices issued to concerned authorities over Sheharyar Afridi's continued custody

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Tuesday directed the authorities concerned to produce arrested Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) leader Sheharyar Khan Afridi before it on Wednesday and also summoned the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) chief commissioner in a personal capacity.

IHC judge, Justice Babar Sattar, hearing the case, observed that it was necessary to cite reasons for keeping anyone in custody.

He issued show-cause notices to the ICT deputy commissioner and senior superintendent of police (SSP) operations as to why not contempt of court proceedings should be initiated against them.

At the outset of the hearing, Afridi's counsel argued that his client was arrested in seven cases but later granted bail.

So far seven orders for his arrest under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) had been terminated by courts.

He had been in jail for the last 90 days.

Besides issuing showcause notices, the court also sought the threemonth record of the MPO orders.

The PTI leader was taken into custody on May 16 from his residence in Islamabad under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance, 1960.

This ordinance grants the government the authority to arrest individuals.