KARACHI: The Sindh government has decided to release nearly 300 Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) workers detained under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance last week. PTI spokesperson Fauzia Siddiqui said Sindh Home Minister Zia Lanjar informed party MPAs Wajid Hussain and Sajjad Ali Soomro about the decision. “So we hope that our workers will be released by tomorrow [Tuesday] after all government formalities are completed,” she told Dawn. She added that about 300 PTI workers and leaders across levels were arrested during raids starting last Sunday, ahead of the party’s February 8 protest call. The PTI has challenged these detentions in court. Government sources confirmed the decision to release all PTI workers, with documentary steps already underway. A source said, “So it may take some time, and by Tuesday evening we may see the workers being released from prison.” Last week, PTI accused provincial authorities of arresting many activists in Karachi and other Sindh areas during night raids. On February 1, the Sindh home department issued MPO notifications to detain PTI workers for 30 days, citing fears of public unrest and road blockades. The party contested this in the Sindh High Court (SHC) the next day. On Friday, the SHC asked officials to present the cabinet’s decision justifying the detentions under the MPO. A two-judge bench led by Justice Adnan Iqbal Chaudhary issued notices and set February 10 for a hearing on about 35 similar petitions. Additionally, even after the February 8 protest, PTI said its Karachi President Raja Azhar and Senior Vice President Faheem Khan were arrested. They were moved to Central Prison without informing their families. PTI called this “open barbarity” and condemned it strongly. The situation remains tense as legal battles continue and the release of PTI workers is awaited.