Pakistan court allows Imran Khan's aides Shehryar Afridi, Shandana Gulzar to go home; to indict key police officers for contempt
The Hindu
The Islamabad High Court allowed two aides of jailed former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan to go home as it heard their pleas against prolonged detentions under the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, a media report said.
The Islamabad High Court on August 16 allowed two aides of jailed former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan to go home as it heard their pleas against prolonged detentions under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance, a media report said.
Shehryar Afridi and Shandana Gulzar, the two leaders of Mr. Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, were held by the police in connection with the May 9 violence that erupted following the former Prime Minister's arrest in a corruption case.
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) also said it would indict city Deputy Commissioner (DC) Irfan Nawaz Memon and a senior superintendent of police (SSP) for contempt of court as the two officials abused authority to obstruct the dispensation of justice.
The court on August 15 issued show-cause notices to Mr. Memon, Inspector General Akbar Nasir Khan, the city chief commissioner and other police officials for “criminal contempt of court for abuse of authority to obstruct dispensation of justice and cause diversion to the course of justice,” Dawn News reported.
It had sought written replies from the two officers “as to why they should not be punished by the court for obstruction of justice”. Shehryar Afridi was first arrested on May 16 from his Islamabad residence under Section 3 of the MPO Ordinance, 1960. He was rearrested on May 30 under the same Section soon after he was released from prison.
A petition was subsequently filed by his lawyer in the high court arguing Shehryar Afridi’s release and for the MPO order to be set aside. Meanwhile, Ms. Gulzar was allegedly abducted by the Islamabad police on August 9.
A petition filed by her mother in the Islamabad High Court on the grounds of her illegal arrest and violation of Articles 4, 9, 10A and 14 of the Constitution, asked the police to produce her daughter in court.
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