By Sanam Javed, a PTI activist, was released from detention on Thursday after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) deemed her arrest “illegal” and permitted her to return to Punjab. The court’s decision comes after Javed had been held for over a year, facing multiple charges linked to the May 9, 2023 riots.
On Monday, the IHC ordered Javed’s release and instructed law enforcement agencies to refrain from arresting her again. However, Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb imposed a condition barring Javed from leaving Islamabad and advised her to refrain from “unnecessary rhetoric” to avoid any reversal of the court’s order.
Earlier in the week, PTI relocated Javed and her family to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) House to prevent her “disappearance” following her release from a Gujranwala case. On July 11, the Lahore High Court had dismissed the case against Javed related to the May 9 riots in Gujranwala.
Despite being granted bail in all cases in Lahore, Javed was rearrested by Islamabad police upon her release from Gujranwala Central Jail. She was then transferred to Islamabad, and on Sunday, although a judicial magistrate cleared her of charges, she was arrested again, this time by Balochistan Police.
The IHC’s Thursday ruling, which followed a petition from Javed’s father, declared her arrest “illegal” and dismissed her bail petition. Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan confirmed that Javed would not face further arrests. He also mentioned that the Balochistan Police would not pursue additional remand.
Justice Aurangzeb’s ruling allows Javed to return to Punjab but requires her to avoid further provocative statements. Javed’s lawyer, Mian Ali Ashfaq, assured the court that she would comply with these conditions and apologized on her behalf. Ashfaq also noted that the FIR against Javed in Balochistan would be withdrawn within two days, and the cases against her in Islamabad would also be dismissed.
