After being arrested multiple times since the May 9 riots, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senior Vice-President Dr Shireen Mazari is all set to go free after the Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi bench ordered her release on Monday.
The court has asked the PTI leader to submit an affidavit to the deputy commissioner assuring no involvement in violent activities in the future.
The bench’s orders came during the hearing of a plea filed against Mazari’s detention.
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.
Officials told Geo News that Mazari was arrested by women personnel of the Punjab Police under Section 4 of the Maintenance of Public Order.
Her daughter, Imaan Mazari, too, confirmed the arrest of her mother a third time on her Twitter handle and said: “They have taken her again”.
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.
“No further investigation is needed from Falak Naz and Shireen Mazari,” the judge remarked.
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.
Imaan laments distress after mother’s arrest
When speaking with journalists outside the LHC’s Rawalpindi bench, Imaan said 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 Imran 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.
