A High Court in Lahore on Wednesday issued notices to the Centre and Punjab government to respond by March 7 seeking a reply over a petition challenging the preventive detention of Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed and his five aides.
A two-member Bench of the Lahore High Court headed by Justice Sardar Shamim issued the notices on the application of Hafiz Saeed and five others who sought their immediate release while accusing the Pakistani government of taking decision under pressure from the U.S.
Hafiz Saeed's lawyer had filed the petition under Article 199 of the constitution alleging that the government had illegally curtailed the right to freedom of Hafiz Saeed and five others. The lawyer pleaded to the court to set them free as the government had not registered any case against them.
Hafiz Saeed and five of his aides from Jamaat-ud-Dawa were put under preventive detention by Pakistani authorities and their names were put on Exit Control List, barring them from leaving the country. Their names were also put on Fourth Schedule under Anti-Terrorism Act after a crackdown at his Lahore office on January 31. Jamaat-ud-Dawa offices were sealed and the organisation was put on terrorist organisation watch list by Ministry of Interior and Home Department, Punjab.
Unlike in the past, Pakistan's military threw its weight behind the government. Military spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor said that Hafiz Saeed’s detention has the backing of the military and was a policy decision taken in national interest.
His lawyer said that the decision by authorities to put Hafiz Saeed under preventive detention was made succumbing to U.S. pressure. He argued that Hafiz Saeed had no case against him and therefore should be released immediately. He also pleaded to declare the ban illegal.
Pakistani authorities, however, denied taking the decision under U.S. pressure.
The crackdown against Hafiz Saeed happened after the Pakistani media reported that the U.S. had called on Pakistan to impose a ban on Hafiz Saeed or face limited sanctions.
India had cautiously reacted to Hafiz Saeed's preventive detention saying it would like to see concrete steps from the government in that regard.
Hafiz Saeed had been put under preventive detentions previously as well, but had always received a court reprieve.
