Tensions flared in Pakistan’s political landscape as PTI dragged the Sindh government to court Monday, protesting the alleged overnight arrests of over 180 supporters under the MPO Ordinance. Raids hit Karachi and surrounding areas, with PTI accusing police of storming homes at dawn to round up activists.
The party’s Sindh chapter, led by General Secretary Mansoor Ali and lawyer Faisal Mughal, filed the urgent petition in Sindh High Court. They challenge MPO directives dated February 1 as patently illegal, urging their suspension and the swift release of detainees.
Local reports highlight PTI’s outrage over what they term a blatant assault on democratic rights. The petition meticulously lists 14 officials—from top bureaucrats to zonal police heads—as respondents, demanding the court void these ‘unconstitutional’ measures.
Central to the argument: these orders bypass required provincial cabinet sanction, infringing on constitutional guarantees of life, liberty, association, speech, and equality. PTI, as a legitimate political entity, demands unfettered rights to organize meetings, demonstrations, and public discourse.
Sindh authorities push back hard. Information Minister Sharjeel Memon told media outlets that no such bulk detentions happened, branding PTI’s narrative a ‘fabricated story’ designed to inflame public sentiment.
With Pakistan’s opposition still reeling from past crackdowns, this case spotlights the MPO Ordinance’s contentious use. PTI hopes judicial intervention will safeguard political freedoms amid a charged pre-election atmosphere. The bench’s ruling looms large over Sindh’s volatile politics.