The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has ruled the arrest of Shireen Mazari, a former federal minister and senior leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), as ‘unlawful’. Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani of the IHC delivered the decision, stating that her arrest by the Punjab Anti-Corruption Department on May 21, 2022, lacked legal grounds. “The arrest was carried out without legal justification,” commented Justice Kayani.
Following the verdict, the court directed the Establishment Division secretary and the Punjab Home Department to investigate the circumstances of Mazari’s arrest. The court also invalidated the commission’s report concerning her detention and called for a comprehensive review of the arrest procedures.
Mazari initially faced arrest on May 12, 2022, under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (3MPO). After being released on bail by the Lahore High Court (LHC), she was re-arrested by the Punjab police outside her Islamabad residence. Her lawyer, Barrister Ahsan J. Pirzada, confirmed the re-arrest, noting it was her fourth in ten days.
Earlier, on March 19, a Special Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) issued arrest warrants for several PTI leaders, including Mazari, related to violent incidents at state installations on May 9 of the previous year. These leaders faced charges in multiple police jurisdictions, including RA Bazaar, Race Course, and Civil Lines.
