A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court has ordered the release of the man leading the movement for Gwadar’s rights, Haq Do Tehreek, Maulana Hidayatur Rehman, who has been under arrest since January.

The top court bench led by Justice Sardar Tariq Masood ordered him to furnish two surety bonds worth Rs300,000 after approving his post-arrest bail petition, which was fixed for today (Thursday).

In January this year, Rehman was arrested over charges stemming from the killing of a policeman by unidentified assailants on Dec 27, 2022, during the protests held by the movement’s supporters.

Read: The Maulana of Gwadar’s got game

In April, hundreds of activists and supporters of the rights movement protested in the port city of Balochistan to demand the release of Rehman.

Constable Yasir Saeed Ari, 21, was shot during a standoff between police and protesters on December 26, 2022. Upon the instructions of the Balochistan home minister, a case was registered against Rehman and at least two others in connection with the cop’s death.

The provincial government accused the protesters of blocking access to the Gwadar port. Protesters say they are pressing for the fulfilment of their demands, including an end to illegal fishing, the share of locals in CPEC and government jobs.

The protests under the banner of Haq Do Tehreek first started on August 19, 2021, with the local population demanding better rights and livelihood. The movement saw tens of thousands of women, men, and young children marching on the main roads demanding their rights.

The first episode of the protest ended in December 2021 with an agreement between the protesters and the government. A fresh wave started in October 2022 with a two-month sit-in that culminated in clashes in December.

Case hearing

At the case hearing, lawyer Kamran Murtaza said that Maulana Hidayatur Rehman was arrested from the premises of the court. Rehman, who led the protest movement, was arrested by Gwadar police on January 13 after he showed up at a local court.

To this, Justice Masood asked why the arrest from the court premises was challenged.

“At that time, the decision of the Supreme Court had not come that the arrest from the court premises would be illegal,” the lawyer replied. This principle was determined by the top court in the PTI chief Imran Khan arrest case, he added.

The court declared Khan’s arrest “illegal” and kept him under its protection, the lawyer said. But the government lawyer contended that Rehman should not be granted bail.

Is Hidayatur Rehman accused of aiding and abetting the murder of a police officer, asked Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar. The lawyer replied that the accusations would be determined in trial.

Murtaza said that his client’s movement was related to the provision of a water facility.