Lahore HC to hear petition challenging Hafiz Saeed's detention

The Lahore High Court on Thursday is likely to hear a petition challenging Jamaat-ud- Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed's detention by Pakistan.

In February, Saeed and his four aides challenged their house arrest, as well as the addition of their names in the Fourth Schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), in the Lahore High Court. They were put under house arrest on January 30 invoking Section 11EEE of Anti-Terrorism Act 1997.

Earlier on April 20, Pakistan Interior Ministry in a written reply to the Lahore High Court defended the detention of the JuD leaders saying that no laws were violated in the issuance of the detention orders against Saeed and his aides.

The ministry said in its reply that the orders were issued under section 11EE of Anti-Terrorism Act 1997, which deals with the prescription of person.

It added that the JuD and FIF had been kept under observation on the basis of a report sent by the Foreign Affairs Ministry. In light of that report, the federal government had reasons to believe that JuD and FIF were engaged in certain activities which could be prejudicial to peace and security and in violation of Pakistan's obligation to the United Nations Security Council resolution.

A division bench headed by Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan examined the report and adjourned the hearing of the petition for April 27.

Hafiz Saeed, Prof Malik Zafar Iqbal, Abdur Rehman Abid, Qazi Kashif Hussain and Abdullah Ubaid had challenged their detention through Advocate A.K Dogar.

The lawyer argued that the government detained the JuD leaders without any justification. He said the UN resolution followed by the government did not seek detention of any citizen. He also alleged that the government detained the petitioners to please India and US.

The JuD has already been declared as a foreign terrorist organization by the United States in June 2014. The JuD chief also carries a reward of USD 10 million announced by the US for his role in terror activities.(ANI)