LAHORE - The Lahore High Court on Tuesday allowed the counsel for Jamaatud Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed to file a new application against issuance of fresh detention orders by the Punjab government.
Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi passed the order and adjourned the hearing till Wednesday (today).
During the proceedings, the Punjab Home Department submitted a copy of the notification containing fresh orders for detention of the petitioners for another 30 days. On this, the judge ordered making the notification record of the proceedings.
On Sept 12, the Punjab Home Department had informed the LHC that activities of Jamaatud Dawa chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, if released, would cause a threat to public safety and challenge the public order. Hafiz Saeed and his aides Abdullah Ubaid, Malik Zafar Iqbal Shahbaz, Abdur Rehman and Qazi Kashif Hussain were detained on January 28, but their detention orders expired on July 27.
The previous detention orders were issued by the Punjab government under II-EEE of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 but now these had been issued under the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order, 1960.
The petitioners, however, challenged their fresh detention orders through their counsel A K Dogar submitting that the government was due to release them on July 27 but it issued again their detention orders. They said that government’s decision was a gross violation of human rights and freedom guaranteed by the Constitution, 1973. They also termed their detention an inhuman act.
Hafiz Saeed and his aides’ petition against their detention under various sections of ATA were already sub judice before the Lahore High Court. The counsel said that Punjab government’s decision to detain his clients was unlawful.
On January 28, the Interior Ministry had suggested the provincial government to put them under detention, saying that Jamaatud Dawa and Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation were engaged in certain activities, which could be prejudicial to peace and security and in violation of Pakistan’s obligations to the United Nations Security Council Resolution No 1267. The Punjab government has placed both organisations in the second schedule of ATA under its section 11-D (1).
LHC reserves judgement on plea against Musharraf
The Lahore High Court on Tuesday reserved decision on maintainability of an intra court appeal seeking contempt proceedings against former military ruler Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf.
Earlier, a single bench of Justice Shahid Karim on September 13 had dismissed a contempt petition against him, holding that it was not maintainable.
A local resident, Nadeem Butt, had moved the petition alleging that Musharraf gave statements against the judiciary. Petitioner’s counsel Rana Asadullah Khan pointed out that Musharraf in his recent interview with electronic media uttered derogatory remarks about the judiciary.
He said that Musharraf claimed in his interview that the last army chief Gen (r) Raheel Sharif had managed things for him against proceedings under treason charges and secured a safe exit from the country. He alleged that Musharraf tried to ridicule the judiciary by saying the army had helped him out against treason proceedings.
He asserted that Musharraf tried to make mockery of the judiciary and his remarks were contempt of court. He requested that the federal law ministry should be directed to initiate an inquiry against Musharraf for scandalising and ridiculing the institution of judiciary. He also sought directions for the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) to take action against a news channel for showing derogatory programmes against the judiciary.
He requested the court to direct the federal government to file a reference with the election commission against the All Pakistan Muslim League for violating the Political Parties Order, 2002 by working against integrity and sovereignty of Pakistan.
After hearing the arguments, the judge reserved the decision on maintainability of the petition.
