A Pakistani court today dismissed a petition challenging the detention of Jamaat-ud-Dawah chief and Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Mohammad Saeed. Lahore High Court Justice Erum Sajjad Gull dismissed the petition filed by a senior lawyer on ‘technical’ ground after hearing the arguments.
The court observed the petitioner had not furnished the impugned notification of Saeed’s detention. Interestingly, during the hearing, Saeed’s counsel advocate A K Dogar appeared before the judge and requested not to give any ‘adverse judgement’ in this case.
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“The government has detained Saeed citing a resolution of the United Nations Security Council. But the UNSC’s resolution for the plebiscite in the Indian-held Kashmir has not yet been implemented. The government has detained him at the behest of the foreign masters,” he said.
Hussain said there has been no nexus with the anti-terrorism laws which are manoeuvred by the respondent to curtail the liberty of a Pakistani citizen on the behest of the foreign mission and UNSC resolution. He said Saeed has made the Kashmir issue alive.
The petitioner prayed to the court to accept the petition instantly and “set Saeed at liberty in the larger interest of justice, equity and fair play to meet the ends of justice”.
The government on January 30 placed Saeed and four other members of JuD and Falah-e-Insanyat under house arrest for a period of three months invoking Section 11EEE of Anti-Terrorism Act 1997. The names ofSaeed and 37 other JuD and FIF leaders have also been placed on the Exit Control List barring them from leaving the country.