Sanam Javed Freed After IHC Declares Her Arrest Illegal

PTI activist Sanam Javed walked free on Thursday following the Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) decision to declare her arrest “illegal” and permit her return to Punjab. This decision comes after Javed had been incarcerated for over a year, facing charges in a dozen cases linked to the May 9, 2023 riots.

On Monday, the IHC ordered her release and instructed police and law enforcement agencies to refrain from re-arresting her. However, Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, who passed the judgment, advised Javed to “avoid unnecessary rhetoric” or risk the court reversing its order.

Despite her release order, Javed faced multiple re-arrests. After the Lahore High Court discharged her from a case in Gujranwala, she was immediately rearrested by Islamabad police and later by Balochistan Police. On Thursday, Justice Aurangzeb, while hearing a petition filed by her father, declared her latest arrest “illegal” and dismissed her bail petition. Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan assured the court that Javed would not face further arrests.

AGP Awan confirmed that the first information report (FIR) against Javed in Balochistan would be withdrawn, and her lawyer, Mian Ali Ashfaq, guaranteed that Javed would avoid any more “unnecessary rhetoric.” Ashfaq also noted that the cases against her in Islamabad would be withdrawn within two days.