The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senior Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Secretary General Asad Umar, and other leaders who were imprisoned as part of the party’s “Jail Bharo Tehreek” (court arrest movement) were ordered by the Lahore High Court (LHC) to be freed on Friday.
In response to a petition submitted by PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry calling for the release of his party’s detained leaders, LHC Justice Tariq Saleem Shaikh made the decision. The movement seeks to combat the incumbent government’s “attack on constitutionally guaranteed fundamental rights” and the “economic meltdown,” according to the PTI’s justification.
On February 22, court arrests movement began. On the first day of the campaign, the party’s senior leaders—including Qureshi and Umar—along with party members voluntarily turned themselves in to the Lahore police. Later, some of the other party members did the same. However, PTI Chairman Imran Khan announced the suspension of the “Jail Bharo Tehreek” on Wednesday and welcomed the Supreme Court’s (SC) decision in the election suo motu notice, saying the party would continue its election campaigns in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab. In a split decision, the top court ordered the governor of Punjab to announce a date for the elections while the president was asked to consult with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and fix a date.
During the course of the proceedings, the LHC sought a reply from the Punjab government and other parties in this regard on March 7. Meanwhile, the court adjourned the hearing till Tuesday.
Courtroom bursts into laughter
The LHC on February 24, took up the PTI’s petition seeking bail for the party leaders who voluntarily surrendered themselves to the police as a part of the “Jail Bharo Tehreek”.
Justice Shehram Sarwar Chaudhary had heard the PTI’s pleas. During the hearing, the court inquired the petitioner’s lawyer about why the party members have been arrested.
At this, the lawyer said the party had started a “Jail Bharo” movement.
Justice Chaudhary asked why they were playing with the courts.
To this, the lawyer said: “We are not asking for bail, these are symbolic arrests and we are here to protect the rights of the leaders.”
The courtroom burst into laughter at the lawyer’s reply.
After this, the court remarked that “you were asking yourself to make arrests, now that they are arrested, what’s the emergency?”.
