LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday set aside the detention orders of 70 workers of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and ordered the government to immediately release them.

Justice Muhammad Anwarul Haq Pannun observed that it was unfortunate that the government was detaining political workers in new cases soon after their release on bail in a previous case.

The judge said the fundamental rights of the citizens should not be compromised.

He directed the government to register cases against the people involved in criminal activities instead of issuing their detention orders.

Justice Pannun also directed the lawyers of the PTI workers to advise their clients not to become part of any unlawful activity.

Separately, Justice Ali Zia Bajwa of the LHC ordered the government to shift PTI leader Mian Mahmoodur Rashid to the Services Hospital for his medical examination.

Earlier, the police produced Mr Rashid before the court following an order by the judge.

A law officer told the court three cases had been registered against Mr Rashid and he was on a two-day physical remand with the police.

The judge directed the police to get the medical examination of the PTI leader.

Justice Alia Neelum sought replies from the government and the police on a petition filed by PTI leader Hammad Azhar, challenging the detention orders of 453 party workers.

The judge adjourned the hearing till May 23.

REMAND: An anti-terrorism court on Wednesday allowed the police to shift 124 PTI workers to jail for their identification parade in the cases of May 9 riots and ransacking of the Jinnah House.

Imran’s wife files ICA: Bushra Bibi, the wife of former prime minister Imran Khan, has filed an intra-court appeal (ICA) before the Lahore High Court, challenging imposition of a fine on her counsel by a single bench.

Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh had on April 20 slapped a fine of Rs100,000 on Advocate Azhar Siddique, the counsel for Bushra Bibi, for filing a baseless and unnecessary petition against a possible police operation outside Zaman Park during Eid holidays.

The ICA filed by the PTI chief’s wife pleads that the single bench slapped the fine on the lawyer ignoring facts of the case. It asks the court to set aside the decision of the single bench being unlawful.

Imposing the fine, the single judge had observed that the petition was filed on the basis of mere apprehensions. The judge noted that a same petition by PTI Chairman Imran Khan was already pending before a larger bench and an order had also been passed on it.

The judge noted that the petition in hand was an exact copy of the one pending before the larger bench.

On March 18, a five-member larger bench had restrained the police from ‘harassing’ Imran Khan as he expressed apprehensions about another operation at his Zaman Park residence during Eidul Fitr holidays.

A fresh petition was filed on behalf of Bushra Bibi, apparently after Mr Khan failed to secure a direct order against the likely police operation.

Published in Dawn, May 18th, 2023