Peshawar High Court Declares Arrest Orders Under Maintenance of Public Order "Null and Void"

In a significant development, the Peshawar High Court (PHC) announced on Thursday that orders of arrests made under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) are deemed "null and void."

The court's verdict nullified the orders issued by deputy commissioners, responding to pleas against the arrests made under the MPO. A detailed written verdict will be released in due course.

Following the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, violent protests erupted, prompting district administrations across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) to enforce Section 3 of the MPO and carry out numerous arrests.

Law enforcement agencies apprehended over 1,400 individuals, predominantly PTI workers, for their alleged involvement in violent attacks on police and army installations, public and private buildings, checkposts, ambulances, and other vehicles during PTI rallies protesting Khan's arrest. Several of these arrests were made under the MPO.

The clashes during the two-day PTI protests resulted in seven fatalities, with over 106 civilians and 36 policemen sustaining injuries in Peshawar and other districts of KP.

Earlier, on May 19, the PHC had ordered the release of PTI workers detained under the MPO. The high court had suspended the detention orders issued by deputy commissioners across various districts in KP.