SAHIWAL: Lahore High Court Justice Asjad Javaid Ghural at the Multan bench, suspended on Friday the 30-day detention order for 15 Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) activists from Sahiwal division.

Their detention order was issued by the deputy commissioner under section 3 (1) of the Maintenance Of Public Order of 1960 when they courted arrest on the call of PTI Chairman Imran Khan. The 15 political leaders along with 115 others were arrested at the DPO office on Feb 28.

The police detained 15 leaders and 115 workers for 30 days and two days. Later, the police shifted workers to the local central prison and leaders to the Lodhran jail.

PTI lawyer Anwarul Haq Ramay challenged the detention order by invoking Article 1999 of the Constitution on March 2. Those who were released from jail included Ali Shakoor, Muzzafar Shah Khagga, Chaudhry Asif Ali, Mr Ramay, Rai Murtaza Iqbal, Ghulam Sarwar, Shabbir Mustafa Sherazi, Mian Sajjad Nisar, Irshad Kathiya, Rana Ahmed, Rai Iqbal, Muhammad Yar, Shahbaz Khan Mardana, Rana Tanveer, and Rizwan Shah.

Rai Hasan Nawaz, PTI west Punjab president, received them at jail. The party planned to accord them a warm welcome at Chichawattni.

Published in Dawn, March 5th, 2023