The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has granted post-arrest bail to activists who were detained for protesting against the arrest of Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) leader Manzoor Pashteen, Dawn reported Monday.
According to reports, IHC Chief Justice (CJ) Athar Minallah heard the plea and granted bail to 23 activists belonging to the PTM and Awami Workers Party (AWP).
During the course of proceedings, the IHC CJ expressed displeasure at the Islamabad police chief’s absence from the court. “We did not expect this of your government. You are the representative of the state here, it is the state’s job to protect its people,” he reportedly said to the deputy commissioner, adding that the government should admit if it was wrong.
“We will get to the bottom of this case. How could you question someone’s patriotism? Do you think constitutional courts will shut their eyes on a matter like this?” CJ Minallah remarked while giving the deputy commissioner a week’s time to consult the Islamabad police chief and come up with a report on the incident.
Pashteen, who is still in state custody, was arrested up from the Tahkal area of Peshawar last week. According to the FIR [First Information Report] filed against the PTM chief, he is accused of using threatening and derogatory language against the state during a gathering in Dera Ismail Khan on January 18.
Pashteen was last Monday presented before a court that handed him over to law enforcement authorities on a 14-day judicial remand.
