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Islamabad High Court on Saturday ordered the release of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and former Pakistan federal minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari and instructed the government to conduct a judicial inquiry into her arrest.
The former minister was arrested from outside her house on Saturday after she was booked under a property case registered in Pakistan's Dera Ghazi (DG) Khan. IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah conducted the hearing of the case where he directed the authorities to immediately release the PTI central leader and also ordered the government to form a judicial commission to probe into the controversial detention of Mazari, ARY News reported. The court declared Mazari's arrest an illegal act and ordered the government to present Terms of Reference (ToRs) for the judicial commission before the IHC. During the hearing, the IHC Chief justice ordered the Inspector General of Police (IG) of Islamabad to transport Shireen Mazari to her residence and also asked the police chief to make security arrangements for her. The court also directed the authorities to return the mobile phone and other valuables to Mazari, reported ARY News. The court issued the orders hours after instructing the interior secretary to produce the PTI leader at 11:30 pm in the 'illegal abduction' case. The police officials tried to was stopped the PTI politician to interact with the journalists within the IHC premises. Mazari, however, managed to interact with the group of journalists there and claimed that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has ordered her arrest. The PTI leader further claimed that her mobile phone was being tracked and four women police officials 'attacked' her. 'An Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) officer namely Ammar had tortured her and she was taken to Lahore in a white-coloured car." The former minister said that it is a case of enforced disappearance. Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shahbaz has said that he issued orders to the Rawalpindi police to release Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader Shireen Mazari, as reported by ARY News. "I have directed the Rawalpindi police to release Shireen Mazari," said Hamza Shahbaz. Previously, the footage of Shireen's arrest has been aired by broadcasters where Pakistan female police officers were seen dragging her out of a car while Shireen could be heard protesting. A scuffle and name-calling were also heard in the footage. The arrest of the former federal minister for Human Rights was confirmed by PTI member Iftikhar Durrani who called upon PTI leaders and workers to reach Islamabad's Kohsar police station. "Shireen Mazari has been picked up outside from her house a while ago, everyone must reach Police Station Kohsaaar!" he tweeted. (ANI)
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