Sanam Javed Walks Free As IHC Declares Her Arrest ‘Illegal’

Sanam Javed Walks Free As IHC Declares Her Arrest ‘Illegal’

On Monday, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) ordered the release of Sanam Javed, with instructions for the police and other law enforcement agencies to refrain from re-arresting her. This decision provided some relief to Javed, who had been incarcerated for over a year, facing multiple cases since the May 9, 2023, riots.

Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, who delivered the judgement, barred Javed from leaving Islamabad and advised her to avoid “unnecessary rhetoric,” warning that failure to comply could result in the court reversing its order.

On Tuesday, Javed was moved to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) House by the PTI, along with her family, to prevent her “disappearance.” Earlier, on July 11, the Lahore High Court had discharged her from a case related to the May 9 riots in Gujranwala.

Javed had challenged her physical remand in a new case from Gujranwala after being granted bail in all cases registered against her in Lahore. Despite this, she was rearrested by Islamabad police upon her release from Gujranwala Central Jail and transferred to Islamabad. Following a judicial magistrate’s clearance on Sunday, she was arrested again by Balochistan Police.

On Thursday, Justice Aurangzeb pronounced the decision to allow Javed to walk free, responding to a petition filed by her father. Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan assured the court that Javed would not face further arrests.

The IHC declared Javed’s arrest “illegal” and dismissed her bail petition. AGP Awan noted that the Balochistan Police was not pursuing the remand request, allowing Javed to return to her province, Punjab.

Justice Aurangzeb sought a guarantee from Javed’s lawyer, Mian Ali Ashfaq, ensuring that she would avoid further “unnecessary rhetoric,” which Ashfaq affirmed. Outside the court, Ashfaq confirmed his conversation with AGP Awan, who stated that the first information report (FIR) against Javed in Balochistan would be withdrawn, along with the cases in Islamabad within two days. He reiterated Javed’s commitment to avoiding unnecessary rhetoric and confirmed there would be no further arrests.

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