ISLAMABAD: While the Lahore High Court (LHC) Rawalpindi bench rejected the request of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) to provide blanket cover to 132 protesters, it set aside detention order of Dr Shireen Mazari and a few others on Monday.

However, she was re-arrested as soon as she was released from Adiala jail on the court order. Sources said she was taken to Gujrat where a case had been registered against her.

Her daughter, Imaan Mazari, who is a human rights lawyer, told journalists that she was arrested thrice within a week. She said the court annulled her mother’s second detention order under MPO. She also criticised PTI chairman Imran Khan for being ‘selfish’ and forgetting his leaders during a difficult time.

Meanwhile, Islamabad High Court (IHC) Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb issued notices to Inspector General of Islamabad and others on petition against re-arrest of Maleeka Bukhari and Ali Mohammad Khan after the IHC has set aside their detention orders.

Dr Mazari apprehended again after being released on court order; IHC issues notices on re-arrest of Maleeka Bukhari and Ali Mohammad Khan

IHC Justice Babar Sattar, however, in response to the petition against the shifting of Ali Mohammad Khan to Jehlum, asked the counsel to approach the appropriate forum since the matter pertained to the territorial jurisdiction of LHC.

LHC Justice Chaudhry Abdul Aziz was hearing the petitions seeking the release of Dr Mazari, Fayyazul Hassan Chohan, and others.

He set aside their detention order and made their release conditional upon the submission of an undertaking to refrain from violence.

However, he declined to issue a blanket order restraining the police from arresting PTI workers, stating that the court would follow the legal course.

Justice Aziz, while disposing of the petition seeking the release of Dr Mazari, observed that following the IHC order to set her free, the deputy commissioner of Rawalpindi apparently issued a “malafide” order for her detention.

He set Dr Mazari free and directed her to submit a bond, while also restraining the police from taking action against her under the Maintenance of Public Order regarding a past event.

IHC Justice Aurangzeb reserved the order on the petition seeking contempt proceedings against IG Islamabad Akbar Nasir Khan for the re-arrest of Dr Mazari.

IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq sought a report from the police on the cases registered against PTI leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi within the territorial jurisdiction of Islamabad.

The court was told that Qureshi was still behind the bar for not providing an undertaking to remain peaceful as provided in the MPO. The court was also requested to issue directions to the police for the production of Mr Qureshi.

The further hearing in this matter has been adjourned until May 24.

FIA summons Asad Umar

On the other hand, the Federal Investigation Agency’s Anti-Money Laundering (AML) circle on Monday summoned PTI central leader Asad Umar to appear before it on May 25 in Karachi over money laundering charges probe.

It served a notice at Defence residence of Mr Umar for money laundering inquiry (No 02/2022) of FIA, an official familiar with the development said. The notice stated that an inquiry was being conducted by the FIA AML circle regarding money laundering by the PTI.

“During inquiry, it came on record that on April 15, 2013, a cash amount of Rs30 million was collected by UBL staff from your (Mr Umar) house bearing No. 84/II, Khayaban-i-Sehar, Phase-VI, Karachi and was deposited in PTI’s A/c No. 204418243 maintained at UBL, Jinnah Avenue, Branch, Islamabad,” according to the contents of the notice issued by FIA deputy director Abdur Rauf.

It added that on May 3, 2013, Rs9.8 million was again collected by UBL staff from Mr Umar’s residence and was deposited in the PTI’s said account maintained at the same bank in Islamabad.

The FIA has asked the PTI leader to appear before an inquiry officer on May 25, along with the sources of cash of Rs39.8m collected by bank staff from his house and despoiled in the PTI account. It believed that Mr Umar was ‘acquainted with the circumstances of the inquiry’.

Muhammad Asghar from Rawalpindi and Imtiaz Ali from Karachi also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, May 23rd, 2023