A fresh political firestorm engulfs Sindh as PTI accuses authorities of jailing 180 workers via dubious MPO raids, prompting a high-stakes court challenge. Filed Monday in Sindh High Court, the petition from party heavyweights Mansoor Ali and Faisal Mughal blasts the February 1 directives as fundamentally flawed.
Dawn operations allegedly saw police swarm PTI leaders’ residences in Karachi and beyond, hauling away activists en masse. PTI decries this as a rights violation, demanding judicial nullification for lacking proper governmental nod and breaching key constitutional provisions on liberty and expression.
Naming 14 defendants—from provincial secretaries to precinct police chiefs—the suit seeks urgent order suspensions and detainee releases, barring other warrants.
Emphasizing PTI’s status as a bona fide political force, the plea defends rights to rallies, strikes, and open advocacy. ‘These edicts are unconstitutional from inception,’ it argues, invoking articles 4 through 25.
Sindh hits back via Information Minister Sharjeel Memon, who slammed PTI’s account to Dawn as ‘deceptive propaganda’ with no grounding in reality. No MPO mass actions occurred, he maintained, framing the uproar as electoral maneuvering.
Amid Pakistan’s polarized scene, this litigation could redefine MPO’s role in quelling dissent. PTI eyes victory to rally supporters; the government braces for scrutiny. Sindh High Court’s deliberation promises pivotal impact on opposition fortunes.