Pakistan Parliament Lodges Declared Sub-Jail for Arrested PTI Lawmakers

The Pakistan National Assembly Speaker has designated the Parliament Lodges in Islamabad as a sub-jail for PTI lawmakers arrested under the Anti-Terrorism Act and the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Act 2024. The Islamabad High Court remanded the lawmakers to judicial custody instead of physical remand.

The Speaker of Pakistan's National Assembly has designated the Parliament Lodges in Islamabad as sub-jail for PTI lawmakers arrested under the Anti-Terrorism Act and the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Act 2024.

Concurrently, Dawn News reported that the Islamabad High Court has overturned the physical remand of the 10 PTI lawmakers, sending them instead to jail on judicial remand.

A National Assembly Secretariat official communicated in a letter to the Interior Ministry that the speaker declared the Parliament Lodges as sub-jail to ensure custody of the lawmakers after each assembly sitting.

The arrested PTI lawmakers—Sher Afzal Khan, Malik Mohammad Aamir Dogar, Mohammad Ahmed Chattha, Makhdoom Zain Hussain Qureshi, Waqas Akram, Zubair Khan Wazir, Awais Haider Jakhar, Syed Shah Ahad Ali Shah, Nasim Ali Shah, and Yousaf Khan—were detained following a public gathering and are held in the Parliament Lodges' suites allocated to them.

Police officials noted that the MNAs face charges from cases registered in Sangjani and Noon police stations and are detained without special arrangements since existing police resources are utilized.

The speaker's directive declared the suites as sub-jail, pending official notification from capital administration or police.

(With inputs from agencies.)