LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) Justice Safdar Saleem Shahid ordered the immediate release of all the detained persons arrested after May 9.
The provincial apex court ruled that the orders of arresting PTI workers in 11 districts of the province including Lahore are ‘illegal’.
Justice Safdar Saleem Shahid issued a written decision containing nine pages.
The decision against detention orders of Dr Yasmin Rashid and others. Detention orders of workers in Lahore, Wazirabad, Jhang, Sheikhupoh, Khafazabad and Mandi Bahauddin, Gujrat, Nankana Sahib, Gujranwala, Sialkot and Narowal, the detention of workers has also been declared null and void.
The verdict stated the shocking incident of May 9 presented a ‘distorted image’ of peaceful and democratic content.
The judge remarked that it was the government’s responsibility to maintain law and order but termed it as ‘sad reaction’ across the country on the arrest of a political leader on May 9.
The government issued countless detention orders without thinking about the May 9 incident. “The government had plenty of time to make arrests in criminal cases if there was any evidence,” he added.
The verdict said that the arrested persons should know the charges so that they could defend themselves.
