Counter-terrorism measures: Court ends house arrest of banned outfit leader

In another case, LHC orders police to stop harassing JUI-F leader

LAHORE: Justice Anwaarul Haq and Justice Iram Sajjad of the Lahore High Court on Monday ordered law enforcement agencies to end the two-month house arrest of a leader of a proscribed organisation. 

Counter Terrorism Department DSP Muhammad Aslam presented a report in court saying that cases against Qari Ismail Attique were registered in 2009 and in 2011 for delivering speeches to incite people to violence. He said cases of house arrest under the Maintenance of Public Order law were produced in an LHC review board, which is why he was not produced before a sessions judge.

In his report, Faisalabad DCO Noorul Amin Mengal said Attique’s house arrest would not be extended beyond September 17.

Attique’s lawyer Advocate Riaz Ahmed Khan told the court that his client’s application was pending before the home secretary. To which the court remarked that if the application was already pending before the home secretary, how could a DCO file a response to the case?

Khan said the CTD had placed Attique under house arrest since June 17 and had not produced him before a court since. He said this was in violation of Section 5 of Article 10 of the Constitution and requested the court to declare the arrest unlawful.

Harassment complaint

LHC on Monday disposed of a petition by Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (F) leader Sajid Farooqi requesting the court to restrain the police from harassing him. The court told police to stop harassing Farooqi and ordered him to submit two bail bonds of Rs200,000 each.

Counter Terrorism Department DSP Farhan and Sub-Inspector Abdul Jabbar told the court that Farooqi’s name had been placed on the Fourth Schedule and it was necessary for them to be able to interrogate him.

Farooqi’s lawyer Advocate Aftab Bajwa said that the police had been raiding his client’s house and harassing him without reason. He said Farooqi was a political activist and had no link with any terrorist organisation. He said the police had placed his name on the Fourth Schedule even though no case had been filed against his client.   

Published in The Express Tribune, August 25^th, 2015.