Pak seeks dismissal of petition challenging Hafiz Saeed's detention

Pakistan Interior Ministry has conveyed to the Lahore High Court that no laws were violated in issuance of the detention orders against Jamaat-ud- Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed and his aides.

In a written reply submitted to the court on Thursday, the ministry defended the detention of the JuD leaders saying the orders were issued under section 11EE of Anti-Terrorism Act 1997, which deals with the proscription of person, reports the News International.

The reply said the ministry issued the impugned notification in exercise of the powers conferred by sub section (1) of section 11D of the ATA, 1997 and placed JuD and Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation (FIF) in second schedule of the Act.

It also said the JuD and FIF had been kept under observation on the basis of a report sent by the foreign affairs ministry. In light of that report, the federal government had reasons to believe that JuD and FIF were engaged in certain activities which could be prejudicial to peace and security and in violation of Pakistan's obligation to the United Nations Security Council resolution.

A division bench headed by Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan examined the report and adjourned hearing of the petition for April 27. Hafiz Saeed, Prof Malik Zafar Iqbal, Abdur Rehman Abid, Qazi Kashif Hussain and Abdullah Ubaid had challenged their detention through Advocate A.K Dogar.

The lawyer argued that the government detained the JuD leaders without any justification. He said the UN resolution followed by the government did not seek detention of any citizen.

He also alleged that the government detained the petitioners to please India and US.

The Punjab government had placed Saeed, the alleged Mumbai attack mastermind, and other party leaders under house arrest earlier on January 31.

The JuD has already been declared as a foreign terrorist organisation by the United States in June 2014.

The JuD chief also carries a reward of USD 10 million announced by the US for his role in terror activities.