Pakistani court says 'no' to arresting Hafiz

The Lahore High Court on Wednesday directed the Pakistan and Punjab governments not to arrest or put Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief and 2008 Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed under house arrest until further orders.

Saeed on January 23 moved the court against his possible arrest, arguing that the government, under alleged pressure from the US and India, wanted to arrest him.

The court directed the governments not to arrest him and ordered them to submit their replies regarding the petitioner's allegations, Dawn online reported.

The Centre and Punjab governments, however, failed to submit their replies. In Wednesday's hearing, they sought more time to do so.

Expressing dismay over the respondents' failure to comply with orders, Justice Ameenuddin Khan directed the counsel for both governments to file replies by April 4.

The Punjab government in February launched a crackdown on seminaries and health facilities run by JuD in Rawalpindi after a high-level UN sanctions team visited in January to review the progress against groups and individuals banned by the UN.

The Rawalpindi administration had taken control of a seminary and four dispensaries run by the JuD and its charity wing Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation (FIF).

The UNSC sanctions list included the names of Al Qaeda, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, JuD, FIF and Lashkar-e-Taiba.

--IANS

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