IHC restrains police from arresting Marwat

Orders authorities to present details of cases registered against PTI chief’s lawyer

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has prohibited authorities from arresting Sher Afzal Marwat, a member of the PTI party’s legal team, without prior approval of the court.

IHC Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir issued this order on Tuesday while hearing a petition of the lawyer who appeared in the courtroom along with his counsel, Adil Aziz Qazi.

While accepting the lawyer’s plea, the court also asked the capital’s police to present details of the cases registered against the lawyer. The court also inquired whether the petitioner's name had been added to the Exit Control List (ECL). The court later adjourned till Friday

On September 30, PML-N Senator Dr Afnan Ullah Khan got a first information report (FIR) registered against Marwat for allegedly physically assaulting him during a live television show on September 27.

Islamabad’s Aabpara Police Station registered the FIR under Section 352 and 506 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). PPC’s Section 352 deals with unprovoked use of assault or criminal force while Section 506 deals with criminal intimidation.

In his complaint also shared on social media, the senator alleged that at Express News talk show Kal Tak, the PTI’s lawyer assaulted him, slapped him thrice and beat him while he was “nearly unconscious on the floor.”

“I received medical treatment for my injuries, including swelling and bruise marks on my head,” the complainant said, urging the police to promptly initiate an investigation against this act of violence “against a sitting senator.”

A viral video clip of the incident, widely circulated on social media, captured Marwat launching an attack on Afnan, with the senator responding by pushing the PTI lawyer out of the camera's view.

Supporters from both the PML-N and the PTI camps sought to claim victory for their respective representatives in the skirmish, despite the major portion of the fight remaining obscured in the available video clips.

Both Senator Khan and PTI lawyer Marwat had later taken to X (formerly known as Twitter) to present their accounts of the incident. Senator Khan had asserted that Sher Afzal Marwat had initiated the attack, but he had responded appropriately.