- ATC orders release of Omar Ayub, Raja Basharat, other PTI leaders
- Issues contempt notices to five police officers for their role in the arrests
RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Omar Ayub on Friday accused Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz, the Punjab IG Police, and DPO Attock of being responsible for his unlawful arrest, which he claims took place at an Adiala Jail checkpoint on Wednesday.
The arrest occurred despite Ayub having secured a protective bail from the Peshawar High Court.
Speaking to the media after the Rawalpindi Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) approved his bail and ordered his release, Ayub described the ordeal as a blatant violation of his legal rights. He emphasized that the court questioned the police’s authority to arrest him, given his existing bail. According to Ayub, the police could not provide an answer when the court inquired about their actions.
“I was arrested in a false case yesterday, and despite having bail from the Peshawar High Court, I was illegally detained at Adiala Jail and later transferred to Police Lines. The court has now ruled that my detention was unlawful,” Ayub said.
ATC orders release of Omar Ayub and four other PTI leaders
Earlier, the Rawalpindi ATC declared arrests of Omar Ayub and four other PTI leaders, including Raja Basharat, as illegal. The court issued contempt notices to five police officers for their role in the arrests and reprimanded them for disregarding the bail orders.
The ATC, under Judge Amjad Ali Shah, expressed strong disapproval of the arrests during a hearing that included PTI’s legal team led by Babar Awan. “Why were these leaders arrested despite being granted bail by the Peshawar High Court?” the court reportedly asked.
The court also ordered the police not to arrest any accused individuals within a 500-yard radius of Adiala Jail, citing the illegal nature of the arrests made there.
In response to the illegal detention, the court issued contempt of court notices to five senior police officers, including President Baroni Circle Nabeel Khokhar and SHO President Baroni Aizaz Azeem Saqib Tayyab.
The controversy has intensified tensions between the PTI and the government, with Ayub accusing high-ranking officials of orchestrating the unlawful actions. The case is likely to have further legal and political repercussions, as the PTI demands accountability for what it sees as an abuse of power.
The Rawalpindi ATC’s ruling in favor of the PTI leaders has marked a significant moment in the ongoing political battle, with both sides bracing for what may come next in the legal and political arenas.
