LHC orders release of PTI leaders arrested during ‘Jail Bharo Tehreek’

• The court issues the order on a petition filed by Fawad Chaudhry.  
• LHC's Justice Tariq Saleem Shaikh heard the case.
• The court will resume hearing of the case on Tuesday.   

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday ordered the authorities to release Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senior Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Secretary General Asad Umar, and other leaders who were put behind bars during the party’s ‘Jail Bharo Tehreek’ (court arrest movement).

LHC’s Justice Tariq Saleem Shaikh issued the order while hearing a petition filed by PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry seeking the release of his party’s detained leaders.

The movement, according to the PTI rationale, aims to counter the "attack on constitutionally-guaranteed fundamental rights" and the "economic meltdown" by the incumbent government".

The court arrest movement was launched on February 22. The party's senior leaders, including Qureshi, Umar, along with party workers voluntarily surrendered themselves to the Lahore police on the first day of the campaign — and later, some of the others followed suit.

The PTI Chairman Imran Khan on Wednesday, however, welcomed the Supreme Court (SC) verdict in the election suo motu notice and announced the suspension of the “Jail Bharo Tehreek”, saying the party will move forward with election campaigns in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab.

In a split verdict, the top court had asked the president to consult with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and fix a date for elections in Punjab while the governor KP was ordered to announce a date for the election in the province.

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?".