ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Saturday evening directed authorities to produce former federal minister and senior PTI leader Shireen Mazari before it at 11:30pm today.
Punjab’s anti-corruption department had arrested PTI leader Mazari today afternoon, but hours after the authority’s move, Chief Minister Punjab Hamza Shahbaz ordered her immediate release.
The former human rights minister, according to Geo News, was taken into custody in a case related to the encroachment of a piece of land in District Rajanpur.
In a three-page order, IHC CJ Athar Minallah said: “The authorities shall explain under what authority of law the fundamental rights of Dr Shireen Mazari were violated while she was within the jurisdiction of this Court.”
The IHC’s order comes after the PTI leader’s daughter, Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir, filed a petition against her mother being “illegally abducted by officials of the Punjab Police”.
The court noted that the ex-federal minister was not de-notified as a member of the National Assembly, therefore, her arrest was not in line with the law as before any MNA’s arrest, the NA speaker should be informed.
The case against the PTI leader was filed at the request of Deputy Commissioner Rajanpur, after which, the Anti-Corruption Establishment Punjab registered the FIR.
Mazari is accused of encroaching upon a piece of land. A complaint was lodged against her on March 11, 2022, while AC Rajanpur was directed to inquire into the matter.
The official concerned prepared the report of the case on April 8 and in the light of this, the Anti-Corruption Establishment registered a criminal case under its Rules 2014.
Following the arrest, the PTI moved the Islamabad High Court (IHC) and announced to hold country-wide protests later today.
‘My mother has been kidnapped’
Speaking to journalists, Mazari’s daughter, Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir, confirmed the development, saying that “male police officers have beaten and taken her mother away.”
She warned the new government that she would not “spare any of them if something happens to her mother.”
“I was only told that the anti-corruption wing has arrested my mother,” she said, adding that her mother was arrested without prior notice to the family.
“If this government does such a thing then I will go after them,” she said, adding her mother wasn’t arrested but she would call this a “kidnapping incident”.
As against Imaan’s claim that male officers had arrested her mother, footage aired on Geo News shows several female police officials present at the site of the arrest, trying to drag Mazari out of her car after she started resisting the arrest.
Mazari’s message to Hamid Mir
In a message to senior journalist Hamid Mir two days ago, Mazari had said that she was “unaware of the matter and that she was seven years of age when the land reforms took place in 1958.”
The ex-federal minister said in 1971, she was studying at the London School of Economics (LSE) in England. The PTI leader also added that “we had won cases in the Supreme Court and Lahore High Courts”, without going into the specificities of the cases.
The former minister said that she was having the files pertaining to the matter searched at her village, adding that she does “not even own 500 acres of land.”
Party will protest today: Imran Khan
In response to the incident, former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan said Mazari was “violently abducted from outside her house by this fascist regime”.
The PTI chairman noted that Mazari was strong and fearless and if the “imported government” thinks it can coerce her by this “fascism, they have miscalculated!”
The ex-premier claimed the PTI’s anti-government was peaceful but alleged that “this fascist imported government” wants to push the country towards chaos.
“As if sending the economy into a tailspin wasn’t enough, they now want anarchy to avoid elections. Today we will protest and tomorrow after CC meeting. I’ll announce our long march,” he added.
PML-N responds
PML-N leader Ahmed Malik Khan claimed that the “government has nothing to do with Mazari’s arrest” and she was taken into custody in a land encroachment case.
“The land was seized through fake documents,” he alleged.
PML-N’s Attaullah Tarar said that a case was registered against Mazari with Anti-Corruption Punjab.
“She was escorted out of her vehicle with dignity and respect,” claimed Tarar, adding that allegations of police torture against Mazari are “false”.
Islamabad police deny allegations of manhandling
Taking to Twitter, Islamabad Police issued a clarification and said that Mazari was not manhandled as opposed to the claims made by her daughter.
“Dr Shireen Mazari was arrested by female police officers as per the law at the request of the anti-corruption department. News of any mishandling is baseless.”
Protest take place in cities across country
Following the call for protests by Khan, the PTI workers staged protests in different cities in the country against the arrest of Mazari, including in Karachi, Multan, Sukkur, Nowshera, Bahawalnagar, and Mianwali.
The workers staged protests at Karachi’s Shahrah-e-Faisal and the police were called to prevent any mishap. However, the traffic was affected due to the protest. Meanwhile, the traffic is moving from the Karachi Airport to Saddar during the protest.
Former Sindh governor Imran Ismail, PTI’s Khurrum Sher Zaman and Bilal Ahmed Ghaffar and others were present in the protest.
Condemnations pour in
Following Mazari’s arrest, politicians, journalists, and civil society members condemned Mazari’s arrest.
Speaking to Geo News, former interior minister Sheikh Rasheed said: “They [the new government] is pushing the country towards anarchy.”
He further said that the authorities had prepared a list of people who are to be arrested as new IGs have been appointed in Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
“Shireen Mazari’s arrest is the first step in this regard,” he said, warning that PTI Chairman Imran Khan “could be the next one to be arrested”.
Condemning the incident, former governor Sindh Imran Ismail wrote on Twitter: “The arrest of Mazari is a sign that the imported government is bewildered”.
“The imported government is making the situation complicated itself.”
Meanwhile, former minister for parliamentary affairs Ali Mohammad Khan termed the incident a “cowardly act” of the coalition government.
“The government is not just nervous, it is extremely nervous,” he maintained.
PPP MNA Nafisa Shah stated: “Arresting #ShireenMazari, who has no allegations against her is uncalled for, wrong! Who has ordered her arrest and why?”
PPP Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar also condemned the incident.
“Things never seem to change in the land of the pure. Shireen Mazari is my neighbour & a dear friend. Her arrest is deplorable and worst form of political oppression. People who have gone through it themselves & have cried foul in the past, why would they indulge or turn blind eye?”
Senior journalist Hamid Mir asked PML-N to “clear its position”.
Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) wrote on Twitter: “HRCP condemns the arrest and manhandling of senior PTI leader @ShireenMazari1. Her arrest smacks of political victimisation, which has regrettably become an entrenched practice and is deplorable no matter which party is the perpetrator. Dr Mazari is entitled to due process and the incident must be investigated immediately.”
“No one should be subjected to arbitrary arrest & be assaulted. Shameful that a woman @ShireenMazari1 should be beaten. There should be accountability but allegations of corruption must never be used to politically victimised,” wrote AGHS Legal Aid Cell on Twitter.
