PHC expresses concern over rearrest of citizens

PESHAWAR: A division bench of the Peshawar High Court on Monday expressed concern over the rearrest of citizens after release on courts orders. "We cannot allow the state agencies/forces to make mockery of the courts by re-arresting the persons released by the courts. No one is allowed to snatch life and liberty of citizen being protected by the Constitution and the courts," Justice Qalandar Ali Khan observed while hearing bail petition of the suspects.

He remarked that the court cannot leave accused at the mercy of police and agencies, which in garb of law and order were violating the fundamental and Constitutional rights of the public. The court granted bails to terror suspects including Munir Shakir and Faridoon, who were shown arrested by Counter-Terrorism Department with huge quantity of explosive on September 27, 2017 and registered case of terrorism against them.

During hearing, the petitioners' lawyer, Shabir Hussain Gigyani argued that one of the accused Munir Shakir was earlier arrested and then implicated in an untraced case of extortion in which he was released on bail on July 11, this year but was again picked from the jail premises.

He submitted that his brother then filed a habeas corpus petition in the PHC for safe recovery of Munir Shakir Court on July 15, this year. However, during the course of arguments, the focal person for missing persons' cases, submitted that he had been arrested in an extortion case. Additional Advocate General, Mohiyuddin, informed the bench that he along with the other accused was arrested for carrying more than 20 kg explosives from Mohmand Agency for the purpose of terrorism. On this, the lawyer pointed out that how a person can carry explosives when he was arrested from the jail premises after his release on bail that creates doubt and the petitioners were falsely implicated in a concocted case of terrorism.