Daily Times

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday issued notices to inspector general of police (IGP) Punjab and others for February 27 on petitions filed for recovery of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders who voluntarily surrendered themselves to police under court arrest movement. The court also directed the law officer to seek instruction from quarters concerned and appear on the next date of hearing. Justice Shehram Sarwar Chaudhry heard the petitions filed by Ejaz Ahmad Chaudhry and others. During the proceedings, the petitioners’ counsel argued before the court that the police had kept about 100 PTI leaders and workers in illegal custody. However, the court observed that the police were not arresting the PTI leaders but they themselves boarded the prison van. “Now you have come to increase the court’s burden,” it added. The court questioned how and when the leaders and workers were taken into custody. The counsel replied that they were arrested during the court arrest movement, initiated for the constitution’s supremacy. He further submitted that the arrests were symbolic while responding to a court query. The court then addressed Zain Qureshi, son of PTI leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi, and questioned whether his father was also arrested.

Zain Qureshi submitted that his father had also been arrested indeed and asked the court to allow the family to meet him. He further submitted that he also went to Charing Cross but he was not arrested after the court observed that if he wanted to meet his father, he should also go to a place where section 144 had been imposed. At this stage, the petitioners’ counsel requested the court to seek a report from respondents and continue hearing for today. However, the court declined the plea and asked the law officer to seek instructions from quarters concerned and appear on February 27, while issuing notices to the respondents.