MIANWALI: A contingent of Mianwali police cordoned off the sessions court premises since Wednesday morning to rearrest the 37 Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf workers booked in May 9 cases.

On Tuesday, all 37 PTI workers were acquitted by ATC courts in Sargodha, including former MNA Amjad Ali Khan, but Mianwali City Police arrested them from the compound of Sargodha central jail as soon as they came out of the prison and brought them to Mianwali under section 16 MPO (Maintenance of Public Order).

On Wednesday, police produced them before Duty Magistrate Mohammad Asif Mustafi and it was revealed that on Tuesday night, Wan-Bhachran police in Mianwali registered another case against all of them under sections 148 (Rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (Every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 324 (attempted murder) and 353 (assault) of the Pakistan Penal Code and 16 (Dissemination of rumours) of MPO (while they were in police custody).

The duty magistrate deleted sections 324 PPC and 16 MPO, while the remaining sections were bailable and released them on personal bonds. The court released all 37 workers and ordered the police to remove the handcuffs in the court, but they refused to do so.

The matter was brought to the notice of the district and sessions judge, who ordered police to release them or be ready to face legal action, since police cannot arrest them from court premises.

The police removed the handcuffs and remained deployed outside the court to arrest the party workers again till the filing of this report.

Talking to Dawn, bar association president Fateh Khan Niazi said police action is unconstitutional and illegal. He said Amjad Ali Khan and some workers have been arrested under section 3 of MPO, but a majority of them are still sitting on the premises of the court.

Published in Dawn, June 13th, 2024

Must Read

The day of the tariffs

The day of the tariffs

Watching the Trump tariffs roll in while our own prime minister congratulated himself, his team and the power of prayer for being able to pass through a power tariff cut inspired zero confidence.

Opinion

Editorial

More than words
Updated 04 Apr, 2025

More than words

Holistic development can only work when there is organic and credible political activity in the province.
Poor publicity
04 Apr, 2025

Poor publicity

FORTUNE does not seem to be favouring the PTI — at least not yet. With the party’s founder confined from public...
Party pooper
04 Apr, 2025

Party pooper

INDIA’s role of a spoilsport is tiresome. From pulling books from shelves, such as Wendy Doniger’s The Hindus: ...
Canal unrest
Updated 03 Apr, 2025

Canal unrest

With rising water scarcity in Indus system, it is crucial to move towards a consensus-driven policymaking process.
Iran-US tension
03 Apr, 2025

Iran-US tension

THE Trump administration’s threats aimed at Iran do not bode well for global peace, and unless Washington changes...
Flights to history
03 Apr, 2025

Flights to history

MOHENJODARO could have been the forgotten gold we desperately need. Instead, this 5,000-year-old well of antiquity ...