Daily Times

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Wednesday stopped the district magistrate from issuing arrest orders under MPO till further orders and also sought assistance from attorney general of Pakistan in the matter. Justice Babar Sattar heard the cases filed by PTI’s leaders Sheharyar Khan Afridi and Shandana Gulzar against their arrest under MPO. During the course of proceeding, Justice Sattar questioned that under what law the deputy commissioner had been issuing orders under MPO as district magistrate. The court noted that only a notification of 1965 had been produced, adding that how the affairs of federal capital were being run. To a query of the bench, Deputy Commissioner ICT Irfan Memon said that every officer was used to be given notification as time of his appointment as deputy commissioner. The court questioned that how an old laws of 60s could be applied in the federal capital. The court stopped the deputy commissioner from issuance of the orders under MPO till further orders and also sought assistance from AGP in the matter. The court also appointed Salahuddin Advocate and Waqar Rana Advocate as amicus curiae in the case. The court also extended its stay order against the arrest of petitioners in any other case.