IHC orders release of 70 detained PTI workers

ISLAMABAD:
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday has ordered the release of 70 detained Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers after they submitted affidavits.

The high court heard a petition against police harassment of PTI members earlier today and questioned why they were being harassed unnecessarily.

The deputy commissioner Islamabad responded that the political party had asked for permission for the long march. However, he claimed that they were denied permission after the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) had received a threat that a foreign agency may target the political party in question.

He said that about 70 workers had been detained in Islamabad thus far on suspicion.

To this, IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah said that if there was a report about someone trying to break the Metro, the police could take a bond from them.
“As long as someone has not acted, harassment based on suspicion alone cannot be done. You should take a bond from them and release them,” he directed.

The IHC ordered the release of the 70 PTI detainees on a surety bond and said that if there was a case against anyone, the court should be informed tomorrow (May 26).

The Islamabad and Lahore high courts on Tuesday restricted the government from ‘unnecessarily’ harassing and arresting PTI activists and leaders.

The two courts issued the directions just hours after police launched a crackdown on the PTI and raided the houses of party leaders allegedly forcing them to go into hiding.

The IHC had issued notices to the concerned quarters to stop the “unnecessary harassment and arrests” of the former ruling party’s activists and leaders.