In the recent Islamabad High Court proceedings regarding the arrest under the three Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) laws, Justice Babar Sattar highlighted that the Deputy Commissioner of Islamabad lacks the authority to issue these MPOs.
The case involving the detention of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leaders Shehryar Afridi and Shandana Gulzar under these three MPOs was heard, and the court sided with Afridi and Gulzar, deeming the 1980 Act PO 18, granting powers for these MPOs, illegal.
Justice Babar Sattar’s ruling emphasized that the power to issue three MPOs should solely rest with the federal cabinet, excluding the Deputy Commissioner’s jurisdiction. Following this verdict, Babar Awan, speaking to the media at the Islamabad High Court, echoed the court’s stance, stating that those detained under the three MPOs should face accountability. Awan stressed that granting such authority to the Deputy Commissioner and the Commissioner under martial law orders is erroneous, asserting that the court’s decision invalidated the 3 MPO order, confining the authority to pass such orders within the Cabinet in Islamabad.
Furthermore, Awan referenced an incident where Shahbaz Sharif reportedly attacked the Peshawar High Court, suggesting that if there’s concern over such matters, one should become a party in the Peshawar High Court and address the issue of National Reconciliation Ordinances (NROs). He emphasized the nation’s intolerance towards further corruption, hinting at an evasion from elections due to fears of accountability.