Daily Times

LAHORE Acting Chief Justice Muhammad Anwarul Haq of Lahore High Court on Friday ordered the Punjab police to release all of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) workers

The acting chief justice also granted bail to 237 workers allegedly arrested on violation of election code of conduct.

Justice Muhammad Anwarul Haq while ordering for release of PML-N workers observed that the police acts should not reflect any partiality towards any political party.

Justice Anwarul Haq directed police to release the unlawfully arrested workers and issued order for release on bail of 237 others arrested on violation of the election law.

The acting CJ also directed the home secretary to decide today (Saturday) the representations of 141 other arrested workers.

Acting chief justice issued the release order on petition moved on behalf of PML-N Lawyers Forum challenging the arrests of the party workers before arrival of the party’s top leader and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif at Lahore’s airport.

Petitioners counsel alleged that the police on directions of the Punjab caretaker government had arrested a large number of workers of the PML-N without any legal justification. He further alleged that even the police refused to give any information regarding the whereabouts of the arrested workers.

He also alleged that the police had extended threats to the families of PML-N’s arrested workers with dire consequences in case they approach any court of law. He submitted that the workers had been arrested without any reason and in blatant disregard of the law.

He requested to order immediate release of the arrested workers of the PML-N and stop the police from causing harassment to their families.

On court’s directions, the Punjab home secretary, inspector general of police (IG) and inspector general of prisons appeared. Advocate General of Punjab Imtiaz Rasheed Siddiqui justifying the police action said that 141 persons had been detained under section 3 of Maintenance of Public Order while 237 others had been arrested for violating code of conduct announced by the election commission of Pakistan.

IG Kaleem Imam said that arrests were made as precautionary measures following threats of terrorism activities in the province.

Published in Daily Times, July 14^th 2018.