PHC orders provisional de-sealing of KP deputy speaker’s official residence

The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has directed authorities to provisionally de-seal the official residence of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Deputy Speaker Suriya Bibi and barred law enforcement agencies from arresting her until further orders.

The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has directed authorities to provisionally de-seal the official residence of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Deputy Speaker Suriya Bibi and barred law enforcement agencies from arresting her until further orders.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Ijaz Anwar and Justice Muhammad Faheem Wali issued the directives on Wednesday while hearing a petition filed by Bibi. She had challenged the sealing of her official residence and expressed concerns about a possible arrest under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance.

The court also issued notices to the provincial government, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa inspector general of police and other officials, seeking their responses to the petition. A written order detailing the hearing had not been released at the time of reporting.

Representing Bibi Advocate Yasir Khattak argued that his client was constitutionally entitled to protection as an elected officeholder. He maintained that she should be able to perform her official duties without unlawful interference or arbitrary action by the authorities.

The counsel referred to Section 20 of the KP Provincial Assembly Speaker and Deputy Speaker (Salaries, Allowances and Privileges) Act, 1975 stating that Bibi was entitled to a fully furnished official residence in Peshawar throughout her tenure. According to the petition, the residence in Race Course Garden was allotted to her through a notification issued on June 3, 2024.

Khattak alleged that police raided the residence after governor’s rule was imposed in the province on October 11. He further claimed that officials returned on October 14, raided the property without prior notice and locked the premises preventing Bibi from accessing her belongings and official documents.

The lawyer argued that the imposition of governor’s rule or an emergency did not automatically provide legal grounds for sealing the residence. He clarified that his client was not seeking immunity from lawful action but wanted protection against measures allegedly taken without proper legal authority.

In her petition, Bibi requested the court to declare the sealing unlawful and direct authorities to restore her access to the property. She also sought protection against alleged unlawful raids, arrest or detention.

The case comes amid heightened political tensions following the imposition of governor’s rule in KP. The federal government cited what it described as the provincial administration’s disengagement from counterterrorism efforts as the reason for the decision.

A separate case has also been registered against Bibi over allegations that she refused to return an official vehicle. Several PTI leaders, including Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati have reportedly been taken into preventive custody since governor’s rule was imposed