The Lahore High Court MPO Sections 3 and 16 case saw an important development during
proceedings held in Lahore on September 25, 2026. The court approved a request seeking an
early hearing of a petition against Sections 3 and 16 of the Maintenance of Public Order
Ordinance. The petition seeks to challenge the legal provisions related to detention and public
order restrictions. Justice Abher Gul Khan heard the matter after lawyer Azhar Siddique
requested the court to fix the main petition for an early hearing. The lawyer told the court that he
had submitted requests for urgent hearing three times. However, the main case had still not
been scheduled for hearing. He requested the judge to order that the main petition be heard on
the same day. Justice Abher Gul Khan explained that she was not the Chief Justice and could
not direct the court office to immediately fix the case. The judge then approved the request for
an early hearing and said the main case would be fixed according to the court procedure.

Azhar Siddique told the court that the case was still facing problems in getting scheduled
despite repeated requests. He requested the judge to help resolve the issue and allow the main
petition to move forward. Justice Abher Gul Khan assured him that the early hearing request
had been accepted. She said the case would be fixed for hearing through the proper court
process. During the proceedings, Azhar Siddique also discussed previous detention cases
handled by the Lahore High Court. He told the court that he had succeeded in getting around
15,000 detention orders cancelled in different matters. The lawyer also argued that different
judges of the Lahore High Court had given different decisions in cases involving detention
orders. He mentioned Justice Amjad Rafiq while discussing previous cases and said that
thousands of detention orders may have been cancelled in earlier proceedings. Justice Abher
Gul Khan reminded the lawyer that all judges were respected and asked him not to discuss
other judges during the hearing.

The lawyer further argued that technical issues should not stop the process of justice. He said
that legal technicalities should not become a reason for preventing important matters from being
heard by the court. Justice Abher Gul Khan then asked whether the arguments being presented
by the lawyer were actually part of the application before her. The judge explained that the
application being considered at that time was specifically related to an early hearing request.
She clarified that the request had already been accepted by the court during the proceedings.
The main petition will now be scheduled for hearing through the court office. The court did not
agree to hear the main petition immediately on the same day. The legal challenge against
Sections 3 and 16 will therefore be considered when the main case is formally fixed. The
development provides a path for the petition to receive an earlier hearing before the Lahore
High Court. The case concerns the legal use of MPO provisions and related detention matters.
Further proceedings will take place after the main petition is scheduled by the court.

The petition was filed to challenge Sections 3 and 16 of the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order
Ordinance. The legal challenge raises questions about provisions connected with detention and
public order measures. The proceedings also highlighted the difficulties faced by the lawyer in
getting the main case scheduled. Justice Abher Gul Khan made it clear that the court had
accepted the request for an early hearing but could not order an immediate hearing of the main
petition. The next important step will be the formal fixing of the main case by the relevant court
office. Once the case is scheduled, the Lahore High Court will hear the arguments concerning
the legal challenge. The statements made during the hearing represent the positions presented
before the court and do not amount to a final decision on the main petition. The court’s approval
of the early hearing request also does not mean that Sections 3 and 16 have been declared
invalid. The legal questions raised by the petition will be decided through further judicial
proceedings.

Source: Lahore High Court proceedings and court reporting

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