PTI, PAT workers: IHC orders quashing of FIRs against activists

Says police could not register cases without magistrate’s permission

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday ordered quashing of all the FIRs registered against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) workers under Section 188 for violation of Section 144.

“Police was not authorised to arrest the people without magistrate’s permission and we will not allow any unconstitutional step in the country,” said the IHC chief justice, Muhammad Anwar Khan Kasi.

Islamabad police had rounded up hundreds of PTI and PAT activists participating in the sit-ins on the Constitution Avenue.

On September 13, the IHC chief justice – through an interim order – had directed the government to release all the protesters arrested under section 188 ‘for disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servants’ against Rs10,000 surety bonds each.

The said order was issued at the writ petition of the PTI, which had challenged the arrest of its workers.

PTI’s counsel Niazullah Niazi argued that the workers had been arrested wrongfully as under section 195(1)(a) only area magistrate could order arrest. The counsel for police could not produce orders of the magistrate for the arrest of political activists.

PAT’s counsel said section 144 could not be invoked for gathering of political and religious processions.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 18^th, 2014.