The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the government to re-arrest those who were earlier released from prisons on the directives of Islamabad and Sindh high courts amid coronavirus pandemic.

The apex court declared the orders passed by the two high courts null and void and said the application against releasing the prisoners was maintainable, as it cancelled the bails granted to the prisoners.

The orders were issued as a five-member Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed heard the matter.

Earlier on March 30, the Supreme Court had suspended the high courts’ orders to release the under-trial prisoners amidst the coronavirus outbreak in the country.

“No further order shall be passed by any of the high courts and by any of the provincial governments/ICT/Gilgit-Baltistan of releasing the prisoners from the jails.”

It suspended the implementation of the Islamabad High Court's March 26 orders to grant bail, as Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed questioned the IHC’s powers. “How can high courts take suo motu notice,” he remarked while discussing the IHC decision to release 438 prisoners.