Ali Muhammad Khan is released per PHC order.
According to Justice Anwar, those who held a news conference were released, while those who did not risked further arrest.
Ali Muhammad Khan, a former federal minister of state in charge of legislative affairs and a leader in the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), was released on Wednesday after the Peshawar High Court (PHC) issued an order for his release.
After widespread protests erupted on May 9 in response to the arrest of the PTI head, a petition challenging Khan’s detention under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) was considered by a two-member bench of the PHC consisting of Justice Ejaz Anwar and Justice SM Atiq Shah.
When Ali Zaman, the petitioner’s attorney, claimed that the former minister was arrested under the public order act, the advocate general informed the court that the administration possessed the ability to arrest persons who violate law and order under MPO.
Justice Anwar, commenting on the situation, said that those who held a news conference were released, but those who didn’t would be arrested again. The PTI leaders’ announcement that they were leaving the party after being repeatedly arrested was what the judge was alluding to.
Justice Anwar questioned the logical conclusion of a news conference following such severe claims. Zaman emphasized that the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa police arrested the ex-federal minister under the 3 MPO notwithstanding a decision from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) ordering his release.
