The Sindh High Court (SHC) has issued a restraining order preventing the police from arresting former President Arif Alvi in any registered case until December 12. This decision came after a petition was filed seeking details of the cases registered against Alvi, with the former president himself appearing in court. The petitioner's lawyer informed the court that they were unaware of the cases filed against Alvi and requested that the police be barred from arresting him. The court accepted this request, noting that Alvi's lawyer had already secured protective bail in three cases the previous day. The lawyer expressed concern over the possibility of unknown FIRs being registered against Alvi due to political motivations, leading to a fear of arrest.

A separate petition was also filed seeking a stay on the registration of additional cases against the former president. Alvi’s lawyer emphasized that any arrest would take him outside the jurisdiction of the Sindh High Court. However, Justice Sana Akram Minhas pointed out that no restraining order could be issued at this stage, as the court needed to review the case details. Alvi's lawyer also mentioned the arrest of political figure Haleem Adil Sheikh under similar circumstances, raising concerns over the potential political vendetta behind the cases.

Justice Arbab Ali Hakro questioned how the court could intervene without having access to the FIRs involved. Despite this, the court ruled that Alvi should not be arrested until the next hearing, specifically noting that if new FIRs are filed after the current date, the court cannot interfere. The Sindh High Court also issued notices to the provincial and federal governments, asking for responses by December 12. This ruling follows the previous day's protective bail granted to Alvi for 20 days, in light of fears of arrest. The court had also ordered Alvi to submit a bond of Rs 50,000.

According to the petitioner's lawyer, despite peaceful protests, serious cases, including charges under the Terrorism Act, had been registered against Alvi in various cities such as Mianwali, Taxila, and Rawalpindi. The court has directed that the matter be heard by a constitutional bench for further review, including obtaining details of the registered cases. The Sindh High Court's order provides temporary relief to Arif Alvi, preventing his arrest in any existing case until the next hearing.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)