IHC restores MPO powers of capital DC

Justice Babar Sattar had earlier declared DC’s detention powers ‘illegal’

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday temporarily restored the power of the federal capital’s deputy commissioner (DC) to issue directives under Section 3 Maintenance of Public Order (3-MPO).

IHC Chief Justice Amir Farooq and Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri issued the order while hearing a petition against the stay earlier ordered by the single bench presided by Justice Babar Sattar.

The court also issued notices to the parties on the appeal of the chief commissioner and others against Justice Sattar’s decision.

Justice Sattar earlier declared the DC’s authority to issue MPO illegal. Following the verdict, the chief commissioner and the home secretary had filed an intra-court appeal against the decision.

Read  IHC temporarily restores 3-MPO powers of Islamabad DC

The matter of power to issue MPO had reached court, after the multiple MPO-based detentions of several PTI leaders under the crackdown against the former ruling party.

The IHC on September 7 restrained the Islamabad DC from exercising section 3-MPO powers until further notice.

Justice Sattar ruled that the DC cannot use the powers of Section 3 of MPO until further notice and issued a notice to the attorney general for assistance in determining the constitutionality and legality of the ordinance.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 26^th, 2024.