May 22, 2023
RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senior Vice President Dr Shireen Mazari has been rearrested as soon as she was released from Adiala jail on the orders of Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi bench on Monday.
Earlier today, the LHC ordered the authorities to release the detained PTI leader who was taken into custody multiple times since the May 9 riots.
The bench’s orders came during the hearing of a plea filed against Mazari’s detention. The court has asked the PTI leader to submit an affidavit to the deputy commissioner assuring no involvement in violent activities in the future.
It is pertinent to mention here that after being released from custody on Islamabad High Court's (IHC) orders on May 17, the PTI leader was re-arrested for the third time on the same day by the Punjab Police.
Mazari’s lawyer said that his client has been arrest once again. According to her counsel, the Punjab police rearrested the PTI leader, adding that he did not know about her whereabouts.
Last week, IHC barred authorities from arresting Mazari and her party colleague Senator Falak Naz Chitrali. The court had also stopped authorities from further investigating the two politicians when they appeared before the judge hearing a plea seeking relief from further arrest.
Mazari was first arrested on May 12 and detained at the Adiala prison when the government launched a crackdown against the leadership and workers of PTI following the violent protests and vandalism triggered by the arrest of party Chairman Imran Khan on May 9 on orders of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the Al-Qadir Trust case.
The former human rights minister was taken into custody for the second time on May 16 soon after her arrest was declared “illegal” by the Islamabad High Court.
Speaking with journalists outside the LHC's Rawalpindi bench, Imaan said earlier today that her mother was arrested thrice in a week’s time.
“Today, the court annulled the second MPO order for my mother,” she said, slamming the government for causing distress to families.
The human rights lawyer also criticised PTI Chairman Khan for being "selfish" and forgetting his workers and leadership during a difficult time.
“It is a pity that Imran Khan forgot the workers,” Imaan said.