Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Aamer Farooq has observed that 10 to 12 people out of 32 PTI workers were arrested while the rest were kept in illegal detention during the raid on the PTI secretariat.

He said this while hearing a plea for their release on Tuesday. The IHC chief justice remarked that police have become a “police state” and he would decide on the matter of illegal detentions without arrest, and appropriate orders would be issued.

The additional attorney general informed the court that some are arrested, some are residing, two women and nine men are arrested, and six women have been released on personal bonds.

The court inquired from Ali Bukhari’s lawyer about who was taken away and who was released. To this, Bukhari replied that some were released in the morning, but two women were still missing.

The court has raised significant questions about the legality of recent arrests made by authorities. The court stated that it was unacceptable to arrest individuals without proper evidence, noting that the entire staff of the PTI Secretariat should not have been detained without justification.

The court further remarked that if someone was waiting outside the Secretariat, they too were apprehended, indicating a concerning pattern of indiscriminate arrests. The court questioned whether all 32 individuals were arrested and demanded to know the status of the 21 people who were held for 10 hours before being released.

While addressing the authorities, the court stated that they could not simply lock the doors of the court and prevent anyone from leaving without a proper order, as this would be considered abduction.

The court also questioned the actions of the FIA, stating that if their legal counsel had advised them on the matter, the court may consider revoking the license of the lawyer involved.

The court emphasized that the rule of law must be upheld and that all personal belongings seized from the individuals must be returned to them. The court warned that it will not tolerate the creation of a “police state” and will issue appropriate orders regarding the unlawful detentions.