PTI moves SHC against alleged detention of workers in Sindh under MPO, seeks immediate release

2026-02-02 - 07:06

PTI on Monday challenged in the Sindh High Court (SHC) the alleged detention of over 180 party workers during raids in Karachi and other parts of Sindh under the controversial Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance. On Sunday, the PTI alleged that the Sindh police carried out pre-dawn raids on the houses of its workers and leaders and picked up around 180 of them. The provincial government has denied the allegations of detention. The petitioners — General Secretary of PTI Sindh, Mansoor Ali, and President of the Insaf Lawyers Forum, Faisal Mughal — contended that the order issued under the MPO, dated February 1, be declared impugned and sought the immediate release of the party workers. The petition — a copy of which is available with Dawn — named 14 respondents, including the provincial chief secretary, the additional chief secretary, the inspector general of Police, Sindh, the Central police office, additional IGP Karachi police, the deputy IGs east, west, south zone, the SSPs Karachi east, west, south, central, Malir district, Korangi district, Keamari district. The petitioners requested the court to declare the MPO orders “unconstitutional, illegal, without lawful authority, void ab initio, coram non judice, and of no legal effect”. The petition stated that the orders were given without “any disclosed or lawful decision, approval, or satisfaction of the Provincial Cabinet,” which it said stood in direct violation of Articles 4, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 19, and 25 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.” The petitioners sought that the court declare the “impugned orders constitute a mala fide, colourable, arbitrary and politically motivated exercise of power, issued for an extraneous and collateral purpose, namely the suppression of political opposition and peaceful democratic activity, and not for the genuine maintenance of public order as contemplated by law”. The petitioners further said that the PTI, as a registered and recognised political party, “is constitutionally entitled ot organise, participate in, and carry out peaceful political activity, including meetings, protests, strikes, and political expression”. They demanded that the court “set aside the impugned orders in their entirety and suspend their operation forthwith”. It added that the respondents should be restrained from taking “any action whatsoever pursuant to, in reliance upon, or in furtherance of the said impugned orders”. The petitioners also requested the court to direct the immediate release of “all persons who have been arrested, detained, restrained, or otherwise deprived of liberty pursuant to the impugned orders, if not required in any other case”. It further asked that “no fresh detention, arrest, or coercive action be taken against them on the basis of the same allegations, intelligence, or grounds”. The petition added that the respondents should be restrained from taking “any action whatsoever pursuant to, in reliance upon, or in furtherance of the said impugned orders”. More to follow.