Islamabad/Lahore, July 03: Confusion today surrounded efforts by Pakistani authorities to challenge a court order freeing Jamaat-ud-Dawah chief Hafiz Mohammed Saeed from detention, with the Foreign Office saying no appeal had been filed so far.
Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit said no appeal
has been filed by the government to challenge the Lahore High
Court’s order of June 2 that freed Saeed from house arrest.
Asked by agency if an appeal had been filed, Basit
replied: "Not yet."
Earlier in the day, officials of the Punjab government
had said the appeal had been filed in the Supreme Court’s
registry in Lahore. Rana Sanaullah, the Law Minister of Punjab
province, said notice had been issued to Saeed as part of the
process of filing the appeal.
"Technically, the appeal has been filed," Sanaullah
said.
Saeed, who is wanted by India for alleged involvement
in the Mumbai terror attacks, and his close aide Col (retired)
Nazir Ahmed were freed by the Lahore High Court after being
under house arrest for nearly six months. They were detained
in the wake of the Mumbai incident.
A K Dogar, the counsel for Saeed, also told agency he had
received the notice from the Punjab government’s advocate on
record, Rao M Yusuf Khan.
The document submitted by the home department of
Punjab in the apex court’s registry noted that Saeed and Ahmed
were originally detained in light of a United Nations Security
Council resolution that declared the JuD a terrorist
organisation. It said the government has evidence that the JuD
has links with terrorist groups.
The Punjab government sought the immediate detention
of both Saeed and Ahmed as their freedom could create a law
and order situation. The document also said they needed to be
detained for their own "protection".
Rana Sanaullah said, "We hope the federal government
will assist us with complete evidence against the JuD
leaders." Talking to PTI, he said the federal government too
would be filing a similar appeal "in a few days".
Unlike in the past, when evidence against Saeed and the
JuD was presented in-camera in the court, the proof should be
made public to strengthen the government’s position, Sanaullah
said.
Saeed, also the founder of the banned Lashker-e-Taiba,
was detained after his organisation was declared a front for
the LeT by the UN Security Council.
India had expressed concern at the delay by Pakistani
authorities in appealing against the release of Saeed. On June
23, a special court in Mumbai issued warrants for the arrest
of Saeed and 21 others for alleged involvement in planning and
executing the Mumbai attacks.
Bureau Report