LAHORE: Following a court order, the Punjab government on Saturday released all the teachers who were detained under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) for protesting against the policies affecting their service.

More than 200 school and college teachers, lady health workers and clerks were arrested for protesting against the government`s decision to scrap the leave encashment, change the pension regulations and privatisation of the public schools.

The teachers are a part of the All Government Employees Grand Alliance(Agega), a coalition of 34 organisations representing government employees from various departments.

According to the alliance, more than 200 school and college teachers and other employees are currently in jail while police are conducting raids on their houses to arrest more of them.

Police have registered 10 cases against the protesters under Section 16 of the MPO in different districts of the province.

Punjab Teachers Union (PTU) office bearer Tariq Zaidi told Dawn that all the workers arrested by the police during the protest were released.

On Friday, the Lahore High Court (LHC) had directed the district government to release 114 teachers detainedunder the MPO.

Justice Shakil Ahmad allowed a petition by PTU President Allah Rakha and set aside the detention ofthe teachers.

Advocate Malik Aziz Awan appeared on behalf of the petitioner and argued that police had unlawfully arrested the teachers from a peaceful protest they were staging for their fundamental rights.

He said a judicial magistrate refused to grant physical remand of the teachers to police and discharged them, but police didnotreleasetheteachersanddetained them under the MPO only to frustrate the magistrate`s order.

The counsel argued that the Constitution protected the citizens` right toholdpeacefulprotestsand strugglefortheir rights.

A government`s lawyer, however, stressed that the teachers had been detained after they caused a law and order situation. The judge rejected the government`s stance and set aside the detention ofthe teachers.

Earlier, a judicial magistrate on Oct 13 had discharged the teachers, however, the judge observed that according to settled law a discharge order did not amount to acquittal or cancellation of the FIR.

He said despite a discharge order the case against the accused remains alive, the investigation continues and even the investigating officer can rearrest a discharged accused as a result of further investigation and challan him before a court of law.