PTI MPA Javed Kausar Detained for a Month Under 3-MPO
PTI MPA Javed Kausar has been detained for one month under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) law and sent to Adiala Jail, after his arrest outside an anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi on Thursday.
The Express Tribune reported that the detention was ordered on a notification issued by the deputy commissioner, on the recommendation of the Rawalpindi city police officer and the District Intelligence Committee.
Kausar, who represents Gujar Khan in the Punjab Assembly, was taken into custody by a heavy police contingent as he arrived at the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) for a routine hearing in the GHQ attack case. He was first shifted to the Civil Lines police station.
Why Javed Kausar had no protective bail
Police sources said Kausar’s bail in cases linked to the October 24 and 26 protests had been cancelled about a year ago, leaving him without protective bail. They said he was arrested on that basis.
However, no formal arrest had been recorded against him in any case by late Thursday night. PTI leaders continued efforts to secure his release.
Two other PTI workers from Gujar Khan were also arrested outside the court and shifted to the Civil Lines police station, according to other reports. Dunya News reported that a heavy police contingent had been deployed outside the court since morning.
The GHQ attack case
The case dates back to May 9, 2023, when former prime minister Imran Khan was arrested from the premises of the Islamabad High Court in the Al-Qadir Trust case. Protests and attacks on military installations followed, including the attack on the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi.
Kausar is among the accused in the case. Anti-terrorism courts have been hearing a stream of PTI cases in recent weeks, and four PTI leaders were granted bail earlier this month.
A wider legal fight over 3-MPO
Kausar’s detention comes amid a wider legal fight over preventive detention under the MPO. The Federal Constitutional Court on Thursday suspended orders of the Peshawar High Court that had barred the detention of PTI workers under Section 3 of the MPO, after the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government challenged them. The high court had annulled several detention orders and barred law enforcement from carrying out preventive detentions.
A two-member bench of the Federal Constitutional Court, headed by Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan, suspended the high court’s interim orders and issued notices to the respondents. The Federal Constitutional Court, which framed its rules on fundamental rights in October, is now seized of the dispute.
Kausar has been sent to Adiala Jail, the same prison where Imran Khan is held. His nephew was denied a meeting with him there earlier this week, and prisoners at the jail recently complained about food. The party has also been pressing the government to allow meetings with Imran Khan.
Kausar will remain in Adiala Jail for the one-month detention period unless a court intervenes. Other detained PTI workers have challenged their detention orders in court, and the Federal Constitutional Court is now seized of that dispute.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Javed Kausar?
A PTI member of the Punjab Assembly from Gujar Khan, in Rawalpindi district.
Why was he detained?
He was detained for one month under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order law, on a notification from the Rawalpindi deputy commissioner.
Where was he arrested?
Outside the Anti-Terrorism Court in Rawalpindi on Thursday, where he had arrived for a hearing in the GHQ attack case.
Where is he now?
He has been sent to Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.
What is 3-MPO?
Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance allows the government to order preventive detention. Its use against PTI workers is currently before the Federal Constitutional Court.
