IHC told Faisalabad Police arrested MoP chief

ISLAMABAD: In response to a contempt of court petition, a Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Islamabad, Sajid Kayani, here on Thursday appeared before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) and expressed his ignorance about the arrest of Move on Pakistan (MoP) Chairman Muhammad Kamran who, as per the allegations in the petition, was arrested by the Islamabad Police.

Later,  Islamabad Advocate General Mian Abdur Rauf appeared before the court and said the Faisalabad Police had arrested the MoP chairman and a subordinate court had given his two-day physical remand.

Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani of the IHC on July 20 directed the Islamabad IG and Station House Officer (SHO) Secretariat Police Station to appear before the court in-person after an MoP official Ali Raza filed a contempt of court petition, challenging the arrest of his party chairman Muhammad Kamran despite protective bail from the IHC. The IHC bench had also directed the police to produce Muhammad Kamran before the court.

Today (Thursday), however,  an SSP, along with the Secretariat Police Station (SHO), instead of the IG, appeared before the court and informed it that neither the Islamabad Police arrested Muhammad Kamran nor he was in their custody.

Justice Kayani expressed his amazement and asked how it was possible that a person has been picked up from the city without his knowledge.  The Islamabad SSP then told the court that there was an FIR registered against the MoP chairman in Islamabad.

The court then granted time to the police to brief the court about more facts. Later, the Advocate General, Islamabad, Mian Abdur Rauf, appeared before the court and told that Faisalabad police from Chiniot Bazaar, where an FIR is registered against him, arrested the accused and also obtained his two days physical remand.

The advocate general told the court that MoP chairman has been arrested on the FIR registered at Faisalabad and has not been arrested on the FIR registered at Islamabad.Counsel for Ali Raza, Sardar Taimoor Aslam, argued that Muhammad Kamran was arrested from an Islamabad guesthouse, and he could submit affidavits of certain people in this regard.

The MoP chairman had obtained a protective bail from the IHC that is valid all over Pakistan till July 22, and the arrest of Muhammad Kamran is a contempt of court. The IHC bench, heard arguments from both sides and directed the IG, Islamabad, to submit report regarding the arrest of the MoP chairman.