The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday allowed PTI leaders Shehryar Afridi and Shandana Gulzar to go home and announced that it would indict the city deputy commissioner and a senior superintendent of police (SSP) for contempt of court. 

Shehryar and Shandana were arrested in connection with the May 9 violence. Shehryar was in detention under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) ordinance while Shandana was allegedly kidnapped by police. 

The decision comes a day after the IHC had issued show-cause notices to DC Ifran Nawaz Memon, Inspector General Dr Akbar Nasir Khan, the city chief commissioner and other police officials for “criminal contempt of court for abuse of authority to obstruct dispensation of justice and cause diversion to the course of justice”. 

The court had sought written replies from the officials “as to why they should not be punished for obstruction of justice”.