IHC orders release of PTI’s Shehryar Afridi

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday suspended PTI leaders Shehryar Afridi and Shandana Gulzar’s arrest warrants under maintenance of public order (MPO) and ordered immediate release, ARY News reported.

The IHC had earlier directed the authorities concerned to produce Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders Shehryar Afridi and Shandana Gulzar before the court.

IHC Justice Babar Sattar heard the case as Afridi and Shandana Gulzar were produced before the court.

During the hearing today, the court inquired whether Mr. Afridi has any house in Islamabad. “Yes, I have a residence in Islamabad,” Afridi replied to IHC.

At this, the IHC ordered his release and prevented him from leaving Islamabad. The court also directed Afridi not to make statements on media and social media.

“No statement should be made on social media,” IHC judge Sattar told Afridi.

Meanwhile, the court declared the deputy commissioner and SSP operations response to the show-cause notices issued to them as unsatisfactory. “DC and SSP operations will be charged in the next hearing,” the IHC said.

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 his release from prison.

On August 3, Afridi was granted bail by the Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi bench but was later picked up by the police soon after his release from Adiala jail.

It is pertinent to mention here that violent clashes broke out across Pakistan after the former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan was arrested from the premises of Islamabad High Court (IHC) on May 9.