High Court Review Board orders Punjab province to free Hafiz Saeed

Lahore High Court Review Board on Thursday ordered the Punjab government to free Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed and four of his aides by the 26th of this month. Saeed and his aides had been under house arrest since January this year.

The Punjab government did not press the review board for further extension in house arrest of Hafiz Saeed. Latest extension in his house arrest is till October 25.

Saeed, a declared terrorist by the United Nations, the United States and India for his involvement in the 2008 Mumbai attacks, was produced before the review board comprising Justice Yawar Ali, Justice Abus Sami Khan and Justice Aalia Neelum. The proceedings were held in camera.

Saeed was produced before the High Court review board. He was accompanied by hundreds of his followers who showered petals on his arrival.

After hearing the Punjab government home department officials, the review board granted time to file the charges before October 26.

On Saturday, the authorities withdrew terrorism charges against Saeed and the JuD and kept him under detention under the Maintenance of public Order (MPO), paving the way for his possible release. Saeed’s detention had been extended four times since he was detained in the crackdown after the government put the JuD and its charity arm, Falah-i-Insaaniyat Foundation, under sanctions and terror watch list.

Saeed challenged his detention in the High Court in February. His lawyer, A.K Dogar, urged the court to order the release of Saeed and his four aides as no fomal charges were filed against his client after so many months of detention. He further challenged the detention, saying Saeed’s arrest was due to pressure from the U.S. and he had never been charged with any crime.

Saeed and JuD were already banned by the UN while US has put US$10 million bounty on the arrest of Hafiz Saeed. Hafiz Saeed was arrested in a crackdown in January this year and put under house arrest. Mr. Dogar told the court on Tuesday that the Punjab government had once again extended Saeed’s detention for three months.