LHC reserves decision on plea challenging Khadija Shah’s detention

Decision reserved after petitioner's counsel, law officer conclude arguments

LAHORE:

The Lahore High Court (LHC) reserved its decision on Friday on a plea challenging the 30-day detention order of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporter and fashion designer Khadija Shah.

The decision was reserved after detailed arguments of her counsel as well as the law officer, who at different occasions failed to satisfy the court in justifying some aspects of her detention, were concluded.

The petitioner’s - Khadija’s husband Jahanzeb Amin - counsel advocate Sameer Khosa raised several questions over the illegalities committed in implicating the designer in multiple FIRs, her arrest and even her 30-day detention, which came through an order issued under the 3-MPO to maintain law and order in Lahore.

During proceedings held over the plea, LHC’s Justice Ali Baqar Najafi came down hard on the government for using delaying tactics to decide on the petitioner’s review application against the detention order, as well as delaying holding the cabinet’s meeting in which the matter was to be decided.

Justice Najafi was hearing a plea filed by petitioner Jehanzeb Amin, husband of Khadija Shah, challenging detention order of his wife with a request to court for restraining the quarters concerned from removing or even transferring the detenu from the jurisdiction of Lahore or from within the jurisdiction of this court.

Read LHC seeks cabinet’s decision on Khadija Shah’s detention order

Petition

Petitioner Jehanzeb Amin has contended that after his wife was granted bail in all cases, a detention order was issued to detain her illegally for 30 days.

He maintained that the LHC had earlier granted bails to her in two FIRs after the Lahore CCPO had submitted a report disclosing the registration of only two cases against her. However, right after that, she was arrested in a third undisclosed FIR.

Finally, a detention order was issued to detain her for 30 days.

Detention order

An order issued by deputy commissioner Lahore noted that Khadija was being detained to “maintain law and order situation” in Lahore, adding that the superintendent of police, Cantt Division, as well as the district intelligence branch made their recommendations.

It added that Khadija had become a "potential danger to public peace and law and order" and that “there exists a genuine concern that she may once again incite the public to partake in destructive and vandalising activities”.

“In order to prevent the above named activist from acting in a manner prejudicial to public safety and maintenance of public order and tranquillity, it is requested that her Detention Order under section 3 of Maintenance of Public Order for a period of 30 days be issued," the police recommended.