Hafeez Centre ‘terrorists’: Agencies asked to stop ‘harassment’

Petitioners said that their reputations had been damaged and Pakistan’s image tarnished

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Tuesday sought a reply from the Interior Ministry to a petition by two traders and a security guard at Hafeez Centre against harassment by intelligence agencies after they were declared terrorists by Indian media. Petitioners Mehtab and Atif, who are traders, and Babar, a security guard at Hafeez Centre, said that their reputations had been damaged and Pakistan’s image tarnished after Indian news media broadcast their pictures alongside stories that five Lashkar-i-Taiba ‘terrorists’ had crossed into India.

They said the news was false and they had never even been to India, but Pakistani intelligence agencies were harassing them. They asked the court to restrain the agencies from harassing them and for protection against arrest. Justice Umar Ata Bandial adjourned the hearing and directed the ministry to submit its reply by June 8.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 23^rd, 2012.