PESHAWAR: A Peshawar High Court bench has stopped the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and police from arresting former senator and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leader Aurangzeb Khan under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance.

Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim and Justice Sahibzada Asadullah directed Mr Aurangzeb to appear before them in the case on Aug 10.

The bench issued the order on a petition filed by the PTI leader against a recent order issued by the deputy commissioner of Orakzai tribal district for Mr Aurangzeb’s detention under Section 3 of the MPO.

Advocate Adnan Aman appeared for the petitioner and said that the deputy commissioner had issued the impugned order without any justification and there was no valid grounds available with him.

High court calls Aurangzeb in case on Aug 10

He said that the DC had issued the order stating that the petitioner was a threat to public order and maintenance of peace and tranquility in the district.

He argued that during the May 9 and 10 violent protests, his client was not in Pakistan and he was in Dubai and had returned on May 18. Later on, he said that the petitioner had again gone abroad and had remained there from June 21 until June 26.

The counsel said that the petitioner was abroad but even then, the DC had issued the impugned order on July 3, which was aimed at victimising him politically.

He added that when the petitioner would return, he would be arrested under the impugned order.

The bench directed authorities notto arrest the petitioner until further orders and that he should appear before it on August 10.

Meanwhile, a single-member high court bench granted an interim pre-arrest bail to former provincial minister and PTI leader Dr Amjad Ali and directed the police to produce records of cases registered against him on August 4.

Justice Shahid Khan issued the order on a petition filed by Dr Amjad seeking pre-arrest bail in cases related to the May 9-10 protests in Swat district.

Advocate Kifayatullah Shahabkhel appeared for the petitioner and said that his client was a law-abiding citizen and had never been involved in any illegal act.

He said that the police nominated him in the cases registered in Swat district after the May 9-10 riots there.

The lawyer argued that the petitioner was never involved in any violent protests and because of his political affiliation he had been named in those cases.

He added that the police had been harassing his client and raiding his house for his arrest.

Mr Shahabkhel claimed that the charges against his client were concocted.

Published in Dawn, August 3rd, 2023