IHC summons Islamabad SSP in petition alleging harassment of PTI leaders, raids on their homes

AI Summary

The Islamabad High Court has summoned the senior superintendent of police over allegations of harassment and illegal raids on the homes of PTI leaders ahead of a major political march. The court is addressing concerns of security measures, police conduct, and detentions during escalating political tensions in the capital.

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday summoned the senior superintendent of police (operations) on September 24 in a petition concerning alleged harassment of PTI leaders and raids on their homes ahead of the party’s scheduled long march to the capital. Meanwhile, the Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA) has also claimed that police were intimidating and detaining members of the legal fraternity. The IHC directives came as Justice Raja Inaam Ameen Minhas heard a petition filed by PTI leaders, including Malik Aamir Dogar and Shoaib Shaheen, challenging alleged police harassment and raids on the residences of party leaders. According to the court order, the petitioners’ counsel informed the judge that police officials were conducting allegedly illegal raids on the homes of PTI leaders. The counsel pleaded that raids could not be conducted without proper legal authorisation and requested the court to restrain Islamabad police officials from violating the sanctity of homes and the privacy of households, the order said. Issuing the order, the IHC summoned the Islamabad SSP (operations) to appear in person on September 24 to address the allegations raised in the petition. The proceedings come amid heightened security measures in Islamabad ahead of the PTI’s long march and protest activities. Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) had also launched a march towards the federal capital, but has now postponed it on the government’s request. Police have already deployed more than 2,000 containers at various locations in Islamabad and at Attock Bridge, an entry point to Punjab from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and northern parts of the country. Ahead of the march that aims to demand the release of ex-premier Imran Khan, three of his sisters have been jailed for 30 days under preventive detention. Dozens of PTI workers in Rawalpindi, Sahiwal, Okara and other cities had also been taken into custody. Recovery plea for MNA Sanaullah Mastikhel In a statement on Monday, the PTI alleged that five of its MNAs had been taken away from Parliament Lodges. Another MPA was also reported missing. Subsequently, a petition was also filed on Tuesday before the IHC seeking the recovery of MNA Sanaullah Mastikhel, who the petitioner claimed was taken from Parliament Lodges on the evening of September 20. According to the petition, filed by Mastikhel’s relative M. Kashif, the individuals who took the lawmaker away identified themselves as personnel of security agencies. The petitioner alleged that they did not produce any arrest warrant, first information report (FIR) or legal order authorising his detention. The petition stated that extensive efforts had been made to locate Mastikhel, but no information regarding his whereabouts had been obtained. It further claimed that neither the police nor the administration had provided details regarding the matter. The petitioner requested the IHC to direct the authorities to recover the PTI lawmaker and disclose whether any criminal cases have been registered against him. The petition also sought information about the legal grounds for his alleged detention and the circumstances surrounding his disappearance. IHCBA condemns intimidation of lawyers, advocates Also on Tuesday, the IHCBA strongly condemned what it described as “repeated harassment, intimidation and alleged unlawful detention” of members of the legal fraternity by Islamabad police. In a press release signed by its secretary Barrister Qasim Nawaz Abbasi, the association stated that it was conscious of the prevailing law and order situation and did not seek confrontation, disruption or escalation. The bar association said it expected the same restraint and responsibility from law enforcement authorities. “Maintenance of law and order cannot be a justification for unlawful interference with lawyers, intimidation of advocates or deprivation of liberty without lawful authority and due process,” the statement said. The IHCBA called upon the Islamabad inspector general of police (IG) and senior police officers to “immediately intervene, restrain their personnel and ensure that no lawyer was subjected to harassment, intimidation or unlawful detention”. It further demanded that complaints of unlawful conduct be promptly investigated and that officials found responsible be held accountable in accordance with the law. The bar association stressed that it had exercised restraint in the larger public interest, but cautioned that such restraint should not be mistaken for weakness or consent. “If such conduct continues, the association will be compelled to invoke all constitutional and legal remedies available to protect its members and the independence of the legal profession,” the statement asserted. The IHCBA reiterated its commitment to peace and public order and expressed the expectation that police leadership would ensure that the situation did not reach a point of confrontation. Contempt plea filed against Junaid Akbar Me