Pakistan court allows Imran Khan's aides Shehryar Afridi, Shandana Gulzar to go home; to indict key police officers for contempt

The Islamabad High Court on Wednesday allowed two aides of jailed former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan to go home as it heard their pleas against prolonged detentions under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) ordinance, a media report said.

Shehryar Afridi and Shandana Gulzar, the two leaders of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, were held by the police in connection with the May 9 violence that erupted following the former prime minister's arrest in a corruption case.

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) also said it would indict city Deputy Commissioner (DC) Irfan Nawaz Memon and a senior superintendent of police (SSP) for contempt of court as the two officials abused authority to obstruct the dispensation of justice.

The court on Tuesday issued show-cause notices to Memon, Inspector General Akbar Nasir Khan, the city chief commissioner and other police officials for “criminal contempt of court for abuse of authority to obstruct dispensation of justice and cause diversion to the course of justice”, Dawn News reported.

It had sought written replies from the two officers “as to why they should not be punished by the court for obstruction of justice”.

Afridi was first arrested on May 16 from his Islamabad residence under Section 3 of the MPO Ordinance, 1960.

He was rearrested on May 30 under the same section soon after he was released from prison.

A petition was subsequently filed by his lawyer in the high court arguing Afridi’s release and for the MPO order to be set aside.

Meanwhile, Gulzar was allegedly abducted by the Islamabad police on August 9.

A petition filed by her mother in the Islamabad High Court on the grounds of her illegal arrest and violation of Articles 4, 9, 10A and 14 of the Constitution, asked the police to produce her daughter in court.

IHC Justice Babar Sattar took up Afridi and Shandana’s pleas on Wednesday and sought responses from the officials who were summoned on Tuesday.

Memon appeared in the court on Wednesday to represent the district magistrate while IG Khan and the chief commissioner were also present.

The PTI leaders were presented in the court as well along with their counsel Sher Afzal Marwat.

After hearing the responses of the DC and the SSP, Justice Sattar deemed their argument “unsatisfactory” and decided to indict both officials for contempt of court in the next hearing.

He also asked IG Khan to submit the names of the station house officer (SHO) and the district police officer (DPO) concerned with Afridi’s case, ordering show-cause notices to be issued to both police officials.

Suspending the MPO orders issued against both PTI leaders, the court ordered their release but barred them from going outside Islamabad.

The court also asked the PTI leaders to refrain from issuing statements on mainstream and social media till the case was going on.

“If anything happens to any of them (Afridi or Gulzar), then the IG and the chief commissioner will be responsible for it,” Justice Sattar observed.