Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Ali Mohammad Khan was set free from Mardan jail on Thursday after nearly 80 days of imprisonment.
He was freed following an instruction from the Peshawar High Court (PHC) to release him immediately.
According to sources, the PTI leader had departed for his village, Hathian, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Ali Mohammad Khan faced a total of eight arrests and spent 80 days behind bars. His initial arrest by the Secretariat police on May 11 was under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) in connection with the violent protests that erupted on May 9, following the arrest of PTI Chairman Imran Khan.
“Despite obtaining bail, he was rearrested seven times by the anti-corruption establishment in Mardan on various charges,” the PTI leader’s lawyer told media.
On Wednesday, Ali Mohammad was granted bail in a corruption case by a Peshawar sessions court against surety bonds of Rs. 200,000. However, immediately after the court’s decision, he was re-arrested under the 3-MPO (Maintenance of Public Order) for a week, as ordered by the Mardan deputy commissioner.
Finally, the Peshawar High Court intervened and ordered Ali Mohammad Khan’s release, putting an end to his prolonged detention.
The PHC’s decision to grant immediate release came after Ali Mohammad’s lawyer approached the court for bail. During the proceedings, presided over by Justice Ijaz Anwar and Justice Fazal Subhan, the court expressed its disapproval of the PTI leader’s multiple arrests.
Justice Anwar expressed his concern over the circumstances and questioned the deputy commissioner of Mardan about the reasons for the latest re-arrest. The court emphasized the need to ensure that officials exercise their authority responsibly and avoid misuse of power.
The court summoned the deputy commissioner of Mardan to appear before the court in person on August 8, adjourning the hearing.
