PTI Protest Case: Special Court Lambasts Police Over Selective Accountability — Big Fish Free, Small Walk Into Custody
ISLAMABAD — A special court hearing cases related to the PTI protest crackdown lashed out at police Thursday, raising serious questions over what it described as blatant selective prosecution — where influential accused roam free while ordinary citizens bear the brunt of legal action.Presiding Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra delivered a sharp rebuke to investigating officers,…
ISLAMABAD — A special court hearing cases related to the PTI protest crackdown lashed out at police Thursday, raising serious questions over what it described as blatant selective prosecution — where influential accused roam free while ordinary citizens bear the brunt of legal action.
Presiding Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra delivered a sharp rebuke to investigating officers, questioning how proclaimed offenders were openly moving around Islamabad while law enforcement remained apparently oblivious to who was actually wanted in these cases.
“Is the police only presenting challans of people of their own choosing?” the judge asked pointedly, expressing strong displeasure at the glaring disparity in how suspects were being treated across the board.
The court observed that those being prosecuted appeared largely to be individuals with limited means and no political clout, while high-profile accused named in the same FIRs continued to evade arrest without any meaningful action being taken against them.
The special court directed police to compile a comprehensive list of all proclaimed offenders in PTI protest cases and ensure their arrest at the earliest. Authorities were ordered to submit a progress report at the next hearing, with the court warning that failure to comply could result in action against the concerned officers.
The case has reignited debate over the impartiality of Pakistan’s law enforcement in politically sensitive matters.
