Skip to main content

SHC directs Sindh govt to withdraw MPO detention orders against PTI workers

The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday directed authorities to withdraw orders issued under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) ordinance for the detention of PTI workers in Karachi and parts of Sindh last week.

The order came in response to a petition filed against the detention.

A day earlier, it emerged that the provincial government had decided to release nearly 300 PTI workers. Government sources told Dawn that the “documentary process” had already begun.

“So it may take some time, and by Tuesday evening, we may see the workers being released from prison,” said a source.

During today’s hearing, the SHC directed the Sindh government to withdraw the MPO orders, warning that “if the orders are not withdrawn, the court will issue orders against the authorities”.

The defence counsel, Barrister Ali Tahir, informed the court that “over 187 families were being affected by illegal detention orders”.

He alleged that the “police had illegally raided the homes of party workers”, and added that the orders went “against SHC’s decisions and principles”.

Subsequently, the provincial home department, in a notification dated February 10 and available with Dawn, withdrew the detention orders.

“The government of Sindh is pleased to withdraw all detention orders issued by the Home Department, Sindh, under section 3(1) of the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance (MPO), 1960, during the period from Feb 1 to Feb 9, with immediate effect,” the notification read.

“Senior superintendents of central prison & correctional facilities, Karachi, and district prison & CF, Malir, Karachi, are hereby directed to release the persons detained under the MPO, 1960, forthwith, if they are not required in any other case,” the notification said.

Earlier, as per a statement issued via PTI spokesperson, Barrister Tahir had expressed hope that the detention orders would be suspended today.

Last week, the PTI accused provincial authorities of arresting dozens of activists during night-long raids in Karachi and other parts of Sindh and detaining them under the controversial MPO Ordinance.

On Feb 1, the Sindh home department issued notifications under MPO to detain the PTI workers for 30 days on the ground that they “are instigating the public to block roads, highways, and organise sit-ins, which may disturb peace and tranquillity and can create serious law and order problems”.

The party challenged the alleged detentions in the SHC the very next day.

On Friday, the SHC directed provincial authorities to produce the cabinet’s decision for issuing detention orders against PTI workers under the MPO Ordinance.



from Dawn - Home https://ift.tt/y1cJ9pt
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ministers rubbish notion that proposed retirement age extension to favour ‘one particular institution’

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Tuesday rubbished the notion that a proposed extension in the retirement age was to favour “one particular institution”, adding that the move would be implemented across the board if approved. The rebuttal comes in the wake of media reports claiming that the government was mulling changes to the Constitution to fix the tenure of the chief justice . Currently, judges of the Supreme Court, including the chief justice, retire after attaining the age of superannuation, i.e. 65 years, as stipulated in Article 179 of the Constitution. While giving his opinion recently on the reports of the constitutional amendment, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar had said he “will not vehemently turn down the proposals related to the tenure of the chief justice”. Addressing the issue during a press conference in Islamabad today along since Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and the law minister, Attaullah said the extension in the retirement age was “a proposal to a...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Republican primary race for president in 2024

The Republican primary race for president in 2024 is already shaping up to be a competitive one. There are a number of high-profile candidates who have already announced their intention to run, and more are expected to join the field in the coming months. The frontrunner for the nomination is former President Donald Trump. Trump has been teasing a 2024 run for months, and he has a large and loyal following among Republican voters. However, he is also a polarizing figure, and his candidacy could alienate some moderate Republicans. Another potential contender for the nomination is Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. DeSantis has been praised by many conservatives for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and his opposition to vaccine mandates. He is also seen as a rising star in the Republican Party. Other potential candidates include former Vice President Mike Pence, former Ambassador Nikki Haley, and Senator Tim Scott. Pence is a more traditional Republican who could appeal to moderate vote...
1 comment
Read more

In pictures: Grief in Gaza and the loss of a child

In the photo, the woman cradles a child in her arms, balanced on her knee. It is an image that resonates, as ancient as human history. But in a grim inversion of the familiar, we see that the child she holds close is a corpse, wrapped in a shroud. It is a quiet moment of intense grief. The woman wears a headscarf and her head is bowed. We cannot see who she is nor can we learn anything about the child — not even if it is a boy or girl. Palestinian woman Inas Abu Maamar, 36, embraces the body of her 5-year-old niece Saly, who was killed in an Israeli strike, at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, October 17, 2023. The child is one of many who have lost their lives on both sides in the Israel-Hamas war. Most have names we will never know, whose deaths will spark a lifetime of grief for family members we will never meet. In the 21st century, an average of almost 20 children a day have been killed or maimed in wars around the world, according to Unicef. Reuter...
Post a Comment
Read more