The Lahore High Court (LHC) has directed the release of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senior Vice President Sher Afzal Marwat. Marwat was detained under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) last week after being arrested outside the LHC on December 14, where he had arrived to participate in a protest.
Footage released by the PTI on social media captured the dramatic arrest, with police officers seen dragging Marwat as lawyers attempted to intervene. The arrest, made under the MPO, allows authorities to detain individuals deemed “prejudicial to public safety or the maintenance of public order.”
The PTI, legal bodies, and party leaders strongly criticized the arrest, placing blame on the caretaker government for allegedly facilitating what they termed “unabated lawlessness.”
On Friday, the LHC issued notices to the police and the Lahore deputy commissioner following a petition filed by Marwat’s brother to annul the detention orders. The Punjab government, responding in court today, contended that the notification challenging Marwat’s detention was issued by the deputy commissioner, and the petitioner should approach the appropriate forum for release.
Advocate Mohsin Abbas, representing the government, argued that the plea for Marwat’s release should have been first submitted to the Punjab government. However, Justice Shehram Sarwar Chaudhry dismissed the government’s request and ordered Marwat’s release against surety bonds.
Sher Afzal Marwat, recently appointed as the senior vice president of PTI, has gained prominence with his passionate speeches at the party’s public events. Notably, Marwat had accused the police earlier this month of attempting to “abduct” him in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lower Dir district.
The Peshawar High Court had previously issued orders preventing the KP government from arresting Marwat in connection to four cases registered against him. One such case in October involved allegations of inciting the public against state institutions through social media.
As Marwat is set to be released, this decision marks a crucial development in a series of legal battles involving the PTI leader, who remains a vocal figure within the party amid challenges and controversies.
