PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court on Wednesday directed authorities to provisionally de-seal the official residence of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Deputy Speaker Suriya Bibi and stopped law-enforcement agencies from arresting her until further orders.
The residence was sealed on Oct 11 following the imposition of the governor’s rule and emergency in the province.
The directives were issued by a bench comprising Justice Ijaz Anwar and Justice Mohammad Faheem Wali during the hearing into Bibi’s plea against the sealing of her official residence and her anticipated arrest under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance.
The court also issued notices to the provincial government, inspector general of police and other officials, seeking their replies to the petition.
PHC stops law enforcement agencies from arresting Suriya Bibi until further orders
Advocate Yasir Khattak, who appeared for the deputy speaker, argued that his client held a constitutional office and was entitled to perform her official functions without unlawful interference, discrimination or arbitrary executive action.
He said under Section 20 of the KP Provincial Assembly Speaker and Deputy Speaker (Salaries, Allowances and Privileges) Act, 1975, Ms Bibi was entitled to a fully furnished official residence in Peshawar for her entire tenure as the deputy speaker.
The lawyer claimed that following the imposition of the governor’s rule in the province on Oct 11, the police raided his client’s official residence “without any reason and justification to harass her and unlawfully arrest her”.
He added that at midnight on Oct 14, the respondents, along with some officials, again raided the deputy speaker’s residence and locked it.
“The impugned action has deprived the petitioner of lawful access to her official residence, as well as her belongings, including official documents and essential items,” he argued.
The lawyer said the mere imposition of emergency or the governor’s rule did not, by itself, establish a lawful authority to seal the residence of the petitioner.
He said his client didn’t seek immunity from any lawful and bona fide action taken in accordance with the Constitution, but “arbitrary, discriminatory or unauthorised interference with respect to her residence, without a lawful justification, is open to challenge before this court”.
The petitioner requested the court to direct the provincial government and the police chief to immediately de-seal her residence and restore her lawful access and possession to it.
She also sought the court’s orders for the IGP and Peshawar deputy commissioner not to raid her house and arrest or detain her on the basis of any order issued under Section 3 of the MPO Ordinance.
Ms Bibi requested the court to restrain the respondents from “unlawfully interfering” with her access to the residence.
Following the imposition of the governor’s rule, a case was registered against the deputy speaker for “refusing to return an official vehicle”.
Published in Dawn, October 22nd, 2026
