Hafiz Saeed’s petition: LHC rejects report on US drone strikes
Foreign ministry asked to file a ‘logical satisfactory, and comprehensive’ report.
LAHORE:
The Lahore High Court rejected a report containing detailed comments regarding the highly unpopular US drone strikes on Pakistani soil, submitted by the ministry of foreign affairs as a response to an earlier petition.
The high court also directed the ministry to file a “satisfactory” reply which should also highlight a methodology to implement the resolution unanimously passed by Parliament against the unilateral strikes in May.
Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed observed that the ministry in its report had marked “no comments” and gave no complete answers to all the questions raised in the petition being heard by the court.
The judge directed the deputy attorney general to ensure that a logical and comprehensive reply is submitted by the ministry. The hearing was adjourned till October 27.
Earlier, head of Jamatud Dawa Hafiz Muhammad Saeed had filed a petition in the high court, through his counsel AK Dogar, requesting the implementation of the parliamentary resolution against US drone strikes. He asked the court that the federal government be directed to make public all the information of public importance regarding the drones strikes, especially the secret ‘deals’ with the US — keeping in view article 19-A of the Constitution which entitles every citizen of Pakistan to have access to all information.
The petitioner asked the court to declare that pre-emptive strikes by foreign countries were not permitted under international law. He said the resolution passed by a joint session of parliament on May 14, 2011 needed to be implemented.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 14th, 2011.
The Lahore High Court rejected a report containing detailed comments regarding the highly unpopular US drone strikes on Pakistani soil, submitted by the ministry of foreign affairs as a response to an earlier petition.
The high court also directed the ministry to file a “satisfactory” reply which should also highlight a methodology to implement the resolution unanimously passed by Parliament against the unilateral strikes in May.
Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed observed that the ministry in its report had marked “no comments” and gave no complete answers to all the questions raised in the petition being heard by the court.
The judge directed the deputy attorney general to ensure that a logical and comprehensive reply is submitted by the ministry. The hearing was adjourned till October 27.
Earlier, head of Jamatud Dawa Hafiz Muhammad Saeed had filed a petition in the high court, through his counsel AK Dogar, requesting the implementation of the parliamentary resolution against US drone strikes. He asked the court that the federal government be directed to make public all the information of public importance regarding the drones strikes, especially the secret ‘deals’ with the US — keeping in view article 19-A of the Constitution which entitles every citizen of Pakistan to have access to all information.
The petitioner asked the court to declare that pre-emptive strikes by foreign countries were not permitted under international law. He said the resolution passed by a joint session of parliament on May 14, 2011 needed to be implemented.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 14th, 2011.