The Lahore High Court (LHC) has invalidated the detention of all individuals in 11 districts of Punjab, held under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO), following the violent incidents of May 9. The court ordered their immediate release unless required in other legal cases.
Justice Safdar Saleem Shahid issued this directive while ruling on petitions contesting the arrest of activists and others under the MPO. The court’s judgment described the May 9 events as tarnishing the country’s peaceful and democratic reputation. It asserted that while it was the government’s duty to maintain law and order, it should not do so in the manner exercised on the regrettable day.
The judge labeled the nationwide response to the arrest of a political leader on May 9 as a ‘sad reaction.’ He criticized the government for issuing many detention orders without considering the implications of the May 9 incident. “The government had ample time to arrest individuals in criminal cases, given the existence of evidence,” he added.
The verdict emphasized the right of the arrested individuals to be informed of the charges against them to prepare their defense. The court identified that citizens were imprisoned based on the sole decision of the District Police Officer (DPO), as reported in the deputy commissioner’s notification. This decision contravenes Section 3 of the Public Mantis Ordinance, 1960.
Furthermore, an Anti-Terrorism Court in Lahore confirmed the interim bail of 11 PTI workers from Kasur on Thursday. The Kasur Police have filed FIRs against the accused in the Police Station Division-A and Khudian. To avoid police custody, all accused appealed to the ATC.
