LHC directs Punjab govt to decide on plea of Saeed by September 11

The Punjab Home Department issued an order on July 28 under which the detention of Mumbai terror attack mastermind Saeed and his four aides - Abdullah Ubaid, Malik Zafar Iqbal, Abdul Rehman Abid and Qazi Kashif Hussain -- was extended for another 60 days.

Apparently frustrated with not getting a decision from the Lahore High Court that had on June 7 reserved his petition against his first detention order on January 30, Saeed last week filed a fresh petition challenging the detention order.

LHC Justice Mazahir Ali Naqvi issued direction to Punjab Home Department on the petition of Saeed and his four close aides to decide by September 11 after which the court will conduct a hearing on September 12.

A law officer told the court that the home secretary would hear the petitioners on the case involving their house arrest on September 11 and decide the matter.

Saeed's counsel advocate AK Dogar told the court that a representation against his detention was submitted to the home secretary on August 3 against its July 28 order but no action has been taken so far.

He said the government in the impugned detention order has only shown apprehension against the petitioners.

"Imprisonment without trial and conviction is prima facie unlawful and unconstitutional. The government detained the petitioners to please India and America. Courts in past declared detention of JuD leader’s illegal as the government failed to prove its charges," it said.

On April 30, detention of Saeed and his four aides was extended by the Punjab government for another 90 days under Anti-Terrorism Act 1997.

The Punjab government on January 30 had put them under house arrest in Lahore under the Second Schedule of Anti-Terrorism Act 1997.

The JuD is the front for the banned Lashkar- e-Taiba (LeT). It was declared as a foreign terrorist organisation by the US in 2014.