LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Thursday ordered the caretaker Punjab government to immediately arrange a meeting of incarcerated fashion designer Khadija Shah with her family.

Justice Ali Baqar Najafi was hearing a petition against 30-day preventive detention of Ms Shah ordered by the deputy commissioner (DC).

Jahanzeb Amin, the husband of Ms Shah, filed the petition.

An additional advocate general told the court that the application against the detention of the petitioner’s wife had been discussed by the cabinet. He said some cabinet members wanted further debate on the matter.

The law officer asked the court for a few more days to inform it about the cabinet’s decision.

The petitioner’s counsel stated that Ms Shah had not been allowed to see her family, including a five-year-old daughter.

The law officer said he would take up the matter with the authorities concerned.

However, Justice Najafi ordered the government’s lawyer to arrange a meeting of Ms Shah with her family in the jail within 24 hours.

The judge adjourned further hearing of the petition till Dec 4.

The DC issued the detention order under section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) apparently to frustrate the release of the activist following bail in all four cases relating to the May 9 riots registered against her.

The DC alleged that Ms Shah, also a granddaughter of former army chief Asif Nawaz Janjua, was found involved in ‘criminal activities’ during the investigation of the cases filed against her.

The petition pleaded that the detention order was unlawful and based on mala fide intention. It pointed out that the police previously implicated the petitioner’s wife in a new case every time a court granted her bail.

It asked the court to declare the detention order illegal and direct the government to set the activist free.

An anti-terrorism court on Nov 15 granted post-arrest bail to Ms Shah in the fourth case of the May 9 riots against her.

Sarwar Road police had re-arrested Ms Shah in the case of torching police vehicles in Cantonment area after the LHC granted her bail in two previous cases of attacks on the Jinnah House and Askari Tower.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had also arrested her in a cybercrime case of posting social media messages to incite people against the army during the May 9 violence. However, a sessions court had allowed her bail in the case.

Published in Dawn, December 1st, 2023