PHC orders release of PTI’s Ali Mohammad Khan

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday ordered the release of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Ali Mohammad Khan, who had been arrested under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance 1960 in the light of May 9 violence.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Iijaz Anwar and Justice Syed Mohammad Attique Shah announced a reserved verdict on Khan’s bail plea.

During the hearing, Justice Anwar remarked that whoever holds a press conference is released and the one who doesn’t, gets arrested again.

“How do such serious allegations get abolished with just a press conference,” he asked.

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The court then directed the authorities to release the former minister while announcing the verdict. It also directed Khan to submit bonds worth Rs100,000 as surety against his bail.

Moreover, the court also accepted the pleas of some other people arrested under Section 3 of the MPO.

The former minister of the state was initially arrested from Islamabad on May 11 amid the crackdown on PTI leaders in the wake of violent protests triggered by the arrest of the party chairman. He was released and rearrested multiple times before being taken into custody by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police.

Khan secured the orders of his release from the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) Rawalpindi Bench on May 30, however, he was rearrested from outside the Adiala Jail under the same law by KP police.