RAWALPINDI: Immediately after being released from Adiala jail on bail, eight suspects allegedly involved in the May 9 violence were detained again. The suspects have been held for 15 days after the Rawalpindi deputy commissioner issued their detention orders under Section 3(1) of the Maintenance of Public Order.

The said section empowered the government to arrest any individual over fears that they may act “in any manner prejudicial to public safety or the maintenance of public order”.

Earlier, a Rawalpindi anti-terrorism court had granted bail to the eight suspects who were released from the Adiala jail after submitting surety bonds.

The suspects were Asadullah, Ibrar Shah, Rizwanullah, Ahmed Ali, Asif Ali, Sajjad Haider, Rizwan Azmat and Sohail Tahir.

In his order, the deputy commissioner said that as per the report of Rawalpindi police chief, the eight suspects were “members of a political party” and were found involved in “instigating, planning to organise unlawful assembly, committed violence, delivered unlawful speeches to cause damage to human life and public and private property in the New Town Police Station area on May 9” after the arrest of their leadership.

This was in reference to the violence that broke out following the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan from the premises of the Islamabad High Court on May 9, 2023.

The deputy commissioner’s order stated that the detention was for 15 days “to avoid any likelihood of breach of peace /unlawful assembly in the district [Rawalpindi]”.

The detainees have the right to appeal to the government of Punjab against this order, the order added.