Islamabad: the Islamabad High Court has quashed the arrest of Sanam Javed, a PTI activist who has been arrested. The court threw out an appeal against her release and noted that her detention by Balochistan Police was unlawful.
Sanam Javed, arrested on May 9, 2023, had been shifted from one jail to another across the country before the IHC issued an order for her release. After that, she went to the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa House in Islamabad for a temporary shelter. However, after being released from Gujranwala Jail, she was arrested by the Islamabad Police and handed over to the Balochistan Police who wanted to shift her to Quetta.
The Attorney General also stated that Balochistan Police did not seek the remand and therefore, the court allowed Sanam to go back to her home province without any restriction.
Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb while chairing the case showed concerns over the conduct of Sanam Javed especially when he asked the lawyer of Sanam Javed to make sure that she would not be using abusive language in the future. The lawyer was keen to inform the court that in the future, he will ensure that his client, Sanam does not disrupt court proceedings.
The case has gained attention as the alleged political persecution of activists and the abuse of the legal system. Clearly, Sanam Javed’s case triggers larger questions of civil liberties and fairness within the Pakistani legal framework.
The action of the Islamabad High Court in stopping Sanam from being shifted from Islamabad illustrates how the judiciary failed to uphold the rights of a person during legal and political complications. Viewers are anxiously waiting for the next step in this case that remains topical in the context of the socio-political climate of Pakistan to date.
This verdict of the IHC crucially enters a new chapter in legal proceedings related to Sanam Javed’s cases regarding her arrest and detention while asserting judicial power to protect the rights guaranteed under the Constitution of Pakistan.
