Long march: IHC restrains police from harassing PTI leaders

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday issued an order ahead of PTI long march, questioning the Islamabad police’s list of PTI leaders who had been ordered to submit surety bonds, and restrained the police from ‘unnecessarily’ harassing citizens.

Chief Justice of the IHC Athar Minallah heard former advocate general Niazullah Niazi’s petition against harassment by the police as the Islamabad police submitted their report to the court. The chief justice questioned what kind of lists the police were making, to which the state council stated that the inspector-general had made a list of PTI leaders who were asked to give surety bonds.

Expressing indignation at the police officials, Justice Minallah stated that this was harassment and questioned how they could have asked for surety bonds. “Is this the way? He is a former advocate general,” the CJ said to the police.

The police personnel further said that the report was made by the Special Branch and passed onto the IG who then gave it to the police. Upon inquiry from the chief justice, sub-inspector Azmat Bajwa stated that he had called the petitioner and asked him to submit a surety bond.

The court asked which law the police had followed to ask for surety bonds, to which they claimed that they were following orders and had asked for bonds due to the potential disturbance of peace during the march. The petitioner’s counsel maintained that only the magistrate could order surety bonds, not the police.

Justice Minallah ordered the State Council to satisfy the court at the next hearing regarding the list prepared by the Special Branch. He added that the procedure adopted by the police for the surety bonds was not legally valid.

Read More PTI to celebrate triumph in by-polls with ‘thanksgiving day’ The state council failed to satisfy the court about taking surety bonds by summoning citizens to the police station. The IHC expressed anger at the police officials of the Bani Gala police station and said that the police could not assure the legality of asking for surety bonds.

They reiterated that the police reassure the court regarding the list at the next hearing. The court adjourned the hearing till next week and restrained the police from harassing the petitioner and other citizens until the next hearing.

Former advocate general Islamabad Niazullah Niazi had approached the IHC against harassment by the police and had claimed that the Bani Gala police station had made a list of PTI leaders who were to submit a surety bond prior to the PTI march.

“I got a call from the Bani Gala police station, then a message asking for an affidavit stating that I would remain peaceful,” Niazi had stated.