Islamabad (Web Desk): The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday suspended the eight-day physical remand of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Members of National Assembly (MNAs) who were arrested in connection with cases registered against them following party’s rally on September 8.
A division bench of the comprising IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz announced the decision, following petitions filed by the arrested PTI MNAs.
During the hearing, the Prosecutor General opposed the suspension of the remand, arguing that such a decision could send a "negative signal."
Justice Aamer Farooq responded, questioning what negative impression could arise from the order.
He further observed that if the court issued such an order, the accused would be sent to judicial custody, and the remand order could not be upheld in its current form.
In his arguments, the defence council maintained that the trial court had extended the remand without providing sufficient reasoning, asserting that lengthy physical remands should be avoided.
The prosecutor, however, defended the remand decision by reading out the details of the FIRs filed against the accused.
Subsequently, the court postponed the case till Friday (September 13).
Meanwhile, 10 PTI MNAs arrested from the Parliament House’s premises in the wee hours of Tuesday, were presented in the National Assembly on Thursday following the issuance of their production orders by Speaker NA Sardar Ayaz Sadiq.
On Tuesday, plainclothesmen had stormed the Parliament House, disconnecting the power supply and barging into the building’s Services Branch to whisk away at least 10 PTI legislators.
After the subsequent outcry by the PTI in the House, NA Speaker suspended five security staff for four months and transferred five officials of the Capital Development Authority, serving in the assembly on deputation, for disconnecting the building’s power during the ‘raid’.
A four-member committee headed by Additional Secretary Iftikhar Ahmad has been constituted to probe security arrangements and the “unauthorised movements” in the parliament.
The cases, registered against PTI MNAs at Sangjani and CTD police stations, involve serious allegations under the Anti-Terrorism Act and the “Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Act 2024.”