Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senior Vice President Sher Afzal Marwat was released on Monday following the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) order, overturning his detention under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) last week.
Marwat’s arrest on December 14, outside the LHC where he intended to join a protest, had been captured in footage shared by PTI on X (formerly Twitter).
The video depicted policemen dragging him by the collar while lawyers attempted to intervene.
Subsequently, he was moved to an undisclosed location, and his arrest under the MPO – a law allowing detention for individuals deemed “prejudicial to public safety or the maintenance of public order” – drew sharp criticism from PTI leaders and legal bodies.
The LHC responded to the situation on Friday by issuing notices to the police and Lahore’s deputy commissioner based on a petition from Marwat’s brother, seeking to quash the detention orders.
The Punjab government submitted its response in court, contending that the petitioner should approach the relevant forum for Marwat’s release, challenging the issuance of the notification by the deputy commissioner.
Advocate Mohsin Abbas, representing the government, insisted that the plea regarding Marwat’s release should have been first submitted to the Punjab government. However, Justice Shehram Sarwar Chaudhry rejected the government’s request and ordered Marwat’s release against surety bonds.
The PTI promptly shared the news of Marwat’s release on X, accompanied by a post from Marwat expressing gratitude, “I am out of Jail. Thanks everyone who helped in my release.”
Marwat, a counsel for former Prime Minister Imran Khan and recently appointed senior vice president of the party, has been a prominent figure in recent weeks due to his impassioned addresses at PTI’s public events.
Notably, he accused the police of attempting to “abduct” him earlier this month in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lower Dir district, leading to a court order preventing his arrest in four cases registered against him.
One of these cases, from October, alleges that Marwat incited the public against state institutions through social media.
The Peshawar High Court had issued orders for his protection until further notice in response to these charges.
