LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday ordered the federal government to explain why Hafiz Saeed’s two organisations, the Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) and its charity wing, the Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation (FIF), had been banned and ordered the federal government to submit its reply in court by March 29.
Earlier on Thursday, JuD had challenged the Pakistan government’s ban on its philanthropic activities in the LHC. The JuD chief told the court that the Interior Ministry on Feb 10 had issued a notification to freeze the bank accounts of and take over assets associated with both organisations — the JuD and the FIF — under the Anti-Terrorism Ordinance of 2018.
The petitioner raised a legal point before LHC as halting an individual or an organization from philanthropic activities is unconstitutional.
Saeed further asserted that the government has imposed a ban on its organisation under the pressure of Washington and Delhi. He contended that Pakistan is a sovereign independent state and makes its own laws to govern its citizens.
He added that if there was a conflict between the laws of the land and any provision of the United Nations Security Council Act, 1948, the law of the land shall prevail.
The petitioner, JuD chief Hafiz Saeed through his council A.K Waheed Dogar asked the LHC to uplift the ban on FIF direct the federal government to refrain from harassing the organisation.