The Lahore High Court nullified on Saturday the detention orders of 123 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers who were held in jails following the violence that took place on May 9, Aaj News reported.
Justice Anwarul Haq heard PTI leader Farrukh Habib's plea who sought the release of the detained party activists.
The court also directed the government to release them without delay.
Meanwhile, Punjab caretaker chief minister Mohsin Naqvi has said that over 500 women are currently being sought by the police in several cases related to the May 9 violence.
He said that male officers have been instructed not to arrest women, at the same time emphasising the need to detain those responsible for vandalising army installations at any cost.
Naqvi called upon the authorities concerned to make sure that women were arrested with the assistance of lady constables.
On Friday, PTI Chairman Imran Khan referring to the arrests of the party workers said that you could not crush an ideology by beating people or putting them behind bars.
“Whatever the thought or whoever the person behind this, they fail to understand that an ideology penetrates people’s hearts and a political party could never be eliminated by use of brute force. Whoever is taking these decisions (regarding action against the PTI), I want to give them a suggestion, you could not crush ideology by beating and jailing people,” he added.
He said this after holding a meeting with a delegation sent by the caretaker Punjab government to Zaman Park to search his residence.
After Imran was arrested on May 9, his supporters attacked government buildings, public properties and military installations, including its headquarters and the house of a military commander in Lahore.
Pakistan Army deployed in Islamabad, Punjab and KP
Following the riots, the Ministry of Interior authorised the deployment of Pakistan Army in Punjab, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and Islamabad after the respective setups asked for troops in a bid to maintain law and order.
“Pursuant to the request made by Home Department, Government of the Punjab … the Federal Government, in exercise of the powers conferred under Article 245 of the Constitutions and Section 4 (3) (ii) of Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 (to discharge such functions as specified in the said act), is pleased to authorize deployment of Pakistan Army troops/assets for maintaining law and order situation across the Punjab province in aid of civil power,” stated the Ministry of Interior in its order, available with Business Recorder, dated May 10, 2023.
Later, in a press release, the army said that May 9 will be remembered as a “black chapter” and promised “strict action” against the identified facilitators, planners, and political activists involved in the acts of “vandalism” in a bid to push Pakistan “into a civil war”.
“May 9 will be remembered as a dark chapter. Chairman PTI [Imran Khan] was detained according to law from Islamabad High Court according to NAB’s statement. Immediately after his arrest, army properties and installations were attacked in a systematic manner and anti-army slogans were chanted,” the military’s media wing – Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR) – said in a strongly-worded press release.
“What the country’s eternal enemy could not do for 75 years, this group wearing a political cloak has done in the lust for power,” the ISPR said, adding that the military exercised extreme patience, tolerance, and restraint in the wider national interest without caring about its own reputation.
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