Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) voiced his disappointment on Friday regarding the detention of citizens who were not part of the PTI demonstration last week, which led to the arrest of over 1,400 individuals by the capital and Rawalpindi police.
The comments coincide with the PTI’s allegations that the police have been racial profiling and discriminating against Pakhtuns, as well as violating people’s privacy by checking regular people’s cell phones in order to track down party members.
Imran issued a “final call” for nationwide rallies on November 24, calling for the revocation of the 26th Amendment, which he claimed had strengthened a “dictatorial regime,” the reinstatement of the PTI’s electoral mandate, and the release of party members who had been arrested.
Following the demonstration, Amnesty International, a human rights organization, called for an open inquiry into the state’s “deadly crackdown” to drive out PTI supporters from D-Chowk in Islamabad, where they had assembled on November 26.
The subsequent crackdown resulted in the arrest of numerous PTI employees and the filing of numerous lawsuits against the party’s followers and leadership. The police chief in the federal capital claims that the Islamabad and Rawalpindi police have detained around 1,400 individuals.
Saeed Ahmed, the brother of Sameer Ahmed, a vegetable vendor who was allegedly arrested from Islamabad’s F-10 and placed on judicial remand, filed a writ petition with Justice Tahir today.
According to the appeal, Sameer was arrested in connection with a case filed at the Tarnol police station, in which he was not named but was thought to be one of the unidentified suspects. He was then brought to Adiala Jail.
It further said that when Saeed and his father, Zahoor Islam, asked about the case against Sameer, the police threatened to arrest them.
The imprisoned vendor’s father and brother, together with advocate Riasat Ali Azaad, head of the Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA), were present in court today.
Justice Tahir said it was “totally wrong” for the police to “arrest people who were not even part of the protest” during the hearing.
The judge subsequently dismissed the petition, instructing the police to monitor the situation and asking Advocate Azaad to enter a plea on behalf of the complainant.
The party’s top leadership and supporters quickly left the Red Zone in the early hours of November 27 after a day of fierce clashes between security forces and PTI demonstrators around the federal capital.
At least four security personnel were killed throughout the three demonstration days, including a police officer and three Rangers officials who died in a car crash. However, the government has always refuted the PTI’s claims that 12 of its supporters were killed in an alleged gunshot by staff.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar has stated that 190 security personnel were hurt, the majority of them from slingshots and stone-pelting, but also from reported protester shootings. The interior ministry has stated that among the demonstrators were “1,500 hardcore fighters.”
The chief of police in Islamabad claimed that PTI demonstrators targeted law enforcement with slingshots and automatic rifles and that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police officers were also involved in the demonstration. He expressed alarm over the alleged presence of foreigners among the demonstrators. As of Nov. 28, the officer reported that about 37 Afghan nationals had been arrested in a single week.
The hearing
Justice Tahir expressed his shock at the actions of the police, asking, “What are you all doing, arresting individuals like these?
“This is completely incorrect. He went on, “How can you arrest people who weren’t even involved in the protest?”
Advocate Azaad responded to this by saying, “IG sahib is occupied with reciting political slogans.” Lawyers’ automobiles in G-10 have had their batteries taken, but the police are occupied with shouting political slogans.
He continued by saying that protecting people is the role of the police.
The president of the IHCBA declared, “This is the capital, Islamabad, not Balochistan, and humanity is being humiliated.” “This used to occur in Balochistan, but it’s happening in Islamabad now too.”
Justice Tahir joked, “You are feeling it now that it is happening in Islamabad.”
When Justice Tahir asked the father of the vegetable vendor what he did for a living, he replied that he was employed by Bykea.
“My brother was picked up from F-10 and on December 1 put on the unknown persons’ list in a protest case,” Saeed, the brother of the jailed seller, told the judge.
“He was arrested at a checkpoint even though he had nothing to do with the protest.”
Then, regretting once more that the police had detained innocent people and placed them on judicial remand, Justice Tahir ordered the Islamabad deputy superintendent of police (DSP) to investigate the matter. DSP Legal confirmed he will investigate the matter and be in contact with the impacted family.
The judge dismissed the petition, ordering Advocate Azaad to defend the petitioner’s cause and submit Sameer’s bail request to a trial court.
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