The Lahore High Court nullified on Saturday the detention orders of 123 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers who were held in jails following the violence that took place on May 9, Aaj News reported.
Justice Anwarul Haq heard PTI leader Farrukh Habib’s plea who sought the release of the detained party activists.
The court also directed the government to release them without delay.
Meanwhile, Punjab caretaker chief minister Mohsin Naqvi has said that over 500 women are currently being sought by the police in around several cases related to the May 9 violence.
He said that male officers have been instructed not to arrest women, at the same time emphasising the need to detain those responsible for vandalising army installations at any cost.
Naqvi called upon the authorities concerned to make sure that women were arrested with the assistance of lady constables.
On Friday, PTI Chairman Imran Khan referring to the arrests of the party workers said that you could not crush an ideology by beating people or putting them behind bars.
“Whatever the thought or whoever the person behind this, they fail to understand that an ideology penetrates people’s hearts and a political party could never be eliminated by use of brute force. Whoever is taking these decisions (regarding action against the PTI), I want to give them a suggestion, you could not crush ideology by beating and jailing people,” he added.
He said this after holding a meeting with a delegation sent by the caretaker Punjab government to Zaman Park to search his residence.
After Imran was arrested on May 9, his supporters attacked government buildings, public properties and military installations, including its headquarters and the house of a military commander in Lahore.
