LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday ordered the release of Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed.
Hafiz Saeed has been under house arrest since January this year and was detained after immense pressure on the federal government by the United States (USA) and severe reservations by India. He has been deemed as the alleged mastermind of 2008 attacks on the Indian financial hub of Mumbai that killed 166 people by both the countries.
The Punjab government had asked for an extension to Saeed’s detention but the request was turned down by the court.
Following the decision, Hafiz Saeed, who is scheduled to be released on Thursday, told media that an end to his detention was tantamount to the victory of truth, calling it “a serious blow” to India’s demands.
Following the decision, admirers of Hafiz Saeed chanted slogans and showered him with rose petals.
The JuD chief, through his lawyer AK Dogar Advocate, had challenged his detention orders submitting that the requirements laid by the Supreme Court for the purpose were not fulfilled. He requested the court to set aside the detention and order his release.
The provincial authorities had detained him and his four aides under Section 11-EEE (1) of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 1977, on January 31 this year. But, in October, the government did not extend the notification for their detention under ATA sections and withdrew application pending before the federal review board for their extension.
The authorities, however, decided to keep Hafiz Saeed and his aides under house arrest under Section 3 of the MPO.