HC quashes PSA detention of Masarrat Aalam

The High Court has quashed the detention order of Hurriyet leader Masarrat Aalam Butt and directed the puppet administration to release him forthwith.
According to Kashmir Media Service, a bench of Justice Hasnain Massodi announced the judgment, which was reserved by the Court earlier.
The puppet regime had slapped detention order under draconian law, Public Safety Act (PSA), against Masarrat Aalam in January this year after his earlier detention was quashed by the court.
The petitioner through his counsel, Mian Abdul Qayoom had challenged his detention on several grounds including the one that the latest detention order had the same grounds under which Aalam was booked earlier.
“It is a well settled law that after a detention order is quashed against a detainee, he cannot be detained again on same grounds against which he was booked earlier,” the counsel argued. Mian Qayoom told the court that the detention order passed against Masarrat Aalam in January 2012, was illegal, improper and unconstitutional and required to be quashed.
Aalam was arrested first time on October 2, 1990 under the PSA and after the detention of one year, he was released in 1991. He was again arrested in 1993, detained under the provisions of the PSA, and his detention was extended from time to time and finally he was released in 1997. In September 1997, he was booked under PSA again and was released in May 2000. In January 2001, he was again detained for two years and was freed in 2003. From 2003 to 2012, Aalam was booked under PSA several times with the detention grounds concomitant every time. The court also quashed the detention orders of Hurriyet activists Ameer-e-Hamza, Nazir Ahmad Ganai and Waqar Ahmad Morkah.
TMA seals 8 illegally constructed shops: Tehsil Municipal Authority (TMA) has sealed eight shops under its ongoing operation against illegal construction in the city.
Enforcement team of Town Municipal Authority, Rawal Town Rawalpindi conducted an operation in this connection in street no 6, Ferozpura and its adjacent areas. Three illegally constructed shops of Hafiz Muhammad Aslam were sealed. Similarly, three other shops of Imran Ali, one of Muhammad Riaz and one shop of Owais Yousaf Zai were also sealed.
The operation was launched by TMA on the special instructions of administrator Rawal Town Saif Anwar Jappa under the supervision of Tehsil Municipal Officer (TMO) Ch Liaquat Ali and Town Officer Regulation Toseef Ahmed Malik while inspector TMA Enforcement Department and TMA staff carried out the operation.
The Administrator warned the citizens that illegal construction without prior approval of the maps should be stopped otherwise strict action in accordance with the law against the violators would be taken.