Islamabad high court releases “sedition” charges against 23 protesters detained at a protest in the capital, regulating authorities to give grant bail in order to release them from detention.
The Pakistani court adjudicated on Monday that the measures taken against the activists were unfair, and required officials to reevaluate the case, according to Judge Athar Minallah.
The activist has been a part of protest taking place on 28th January following the arrest of the leader of the Pashtun Tahaffuz movement PTM, Manzoor Pashteen a day before.
The PTM is an ethnic pashtun rights movement intends to call for liability for suspected rights abuse perpetrated by Pakistani military in its warfare against the talibans in Pakistan.
January 28, the protest was arranged by the PTM and the Awami workers party whose regional president Rashid, Ammar was a part of those under arrest.
The 23 protesters are expected to be emancipated later on Tuesday.
Two prominent political leaders and member of the parliament Mohsin Dawar from PTM and Ismat Shahjehan from AWP were arrested earlier at the protest, however they were free shortly.
Police charged the protestors for making an effort to challenge their orders and lifting slogans that were not in favor of Pakistan’s officials and institutions.
However, the videos and witness reports put a spin on the claim, as the protestors were peaceful while police invaded the protest scene.
The independent human rights commission of Pakistan (HRCP), at that time, condemned the arrest as “unconstitutional”.
Mehdi Hasan, the chairperson said in a statement “HRCP believes that [the arrests] were unconstitutional and have violated citizens’ right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly”.
Further “The arbitrary use of the charge of sedition under an archaic law to curb political dissent – that has in no way incited hatred or violence – indicates how little regard the state has for its citizens’ civil and political liberties”.
The powerful military has ruled over the country for about half century and the arrests were the most recent in an escalating onslaught on rebel in the south Asian region.
Prior to the arrests, last month, the parliament passed a law that would allow the army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa to remain in office for another 5 years as his term was to end in November.
In Pakistan, it is rare to criticize the military, while PTM was one of few movements to demand accountability of the institution head on.
About 43 Protestants were detained on Sunday, at separate protests in major cities of the country Karachi, Faisalabad, and Dera Ismail khan to support the PTM.
PTM officials told “All of the arrested were released by nightfall” except an activist from Dera Ismail Khan, Shahid Sherani.–Worldwide News
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