ISLAMABAD: Defying court orders, Islamabad police rearrested 81 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers immediately after they were released late Saturday night from the court premises.
Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Judge Abul Hasanat Zulqarnain discharged PTI workers in the D-Chowk protest case and directed the police not to re-arrest these accused.
The cases against those discharged by the court were filed at Khana Police Station, I-9 Police Station, and Kohsar Police Station.
Islamabad Police officials stated that the re-arrested individuals were involved in other pending cases. “Only those cleared of all charges were not detained again,” the police spokesperson said.
Despite political workers’ lawyers reading out the court’s release order to police officials, a heavy deployment of police and paramilitary forces, surrounding the the judicial complex, detained political workers.
While talking to the media outside the court premises, PTI lawyer Fatehullah Burki said police had rearrested PTI workers unlawfully and that they informed the court about the situation and behaviour of the police.
In a video statement later, defence counsel Advocate Ansar Kayani said police personnel from two to four stations arrived, surrounded, and sealed all sides and entry/exit points of the ATC instead of providing the discharged individuals their legal right of release.
He alleged that the incident contravened a Supreme Court ruling that prevented arrests from inside the court without a legal arrest order.
As per reports, the police officials stationed at the gate of the Judicial Complex pushed media personnel away from the scene. Station House Officer (SHO) Ashfaq Warraich threatened reporters to go back or they would be arrested.
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