Eight-day physical remand of PTI MNAs declared void

Islamabad: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) annulled the eight-day physical remand of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Member of National Assembly (MNA) on Thursday.

According to the details, IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Saman Riffat Imtiaz heard the case.

During the hearing, the Prosecutor General said that suspending the decision of physical remand would create a bad impression. Justice Aamer Farooq remarked if is it so? I have made a clear observation, if we make any order, the accused will be judicial? This order of physical remand cannot be maintained, but what will happen if it is done?

The petitioner's lawyer said that the court should not give too long physical remand, the trial court did not write any reasons for the remand in its order.

On this, the court asked the prosecutor, how will he defend the decision of physical remand. The prosecutor read out the FIRs against the accused.

Later, the court issued a notice to Advocate General Islam and suspended the anti-terrorism court's decision on physical remand.

The physical remand sentence of PTI members Sheikh Waqas Akram, Shoaib Shaheen, Zain Qureshi, Sher Afzal Marwat, Aamir Dogar, Awais Haider, Ahad Chattha, Sheikh Waqas, Syed Shah Ahad Ali, Naseem Ali Shah and Yusuf Khan were nullified.

The decision of physical remand of Yusuf Khan, Zubair Khan, Awais Haider, Naseem Shah has also been suspended.

The court adjourned the hearing of the case till tomorrow at 10:00am which will be heard by the special division bench.

It is pertinent to note that the arrested leaders of PTI will be considered judicial after the decision of physical remand is suspended. A two-member bench of the High Court will hear further arguments and take the final decision tomorrow.