KARACHI, Nov 21: The detention of Liaquat Baloch, the deputy chief of Jamaat-i-Islami, was challenged in the Sindh High Court on Wednesday in a constitutional petition, filed by Prof Ghafoor Ahmed.

The petition in which the Sindh home secretary and the superintendent jail have been made respondents, is likely to come up for hearing on Thursday.

Prof Ghafoor claimed that the detention of Mr Baluch was illegal and without any rationale.

Prof. Ghafoor was accompanied by counsel Raja Haq Nawaz Khan, JI leaders Abdul Sattar Afghani and Mohammad Hussain Mehnati.

Mr. Baluch was arrested in Karachi on Nov 14 and confined in the prison, on the orders of the home secretary, purportedly passed under the MPO, without supplying a copy of the order to the detainee, the petitioner claimed.

The petitioner invoked constitutional jurisdiction of the SHC for setting aside the illegal order.

It was contended by the petitioner that religious parties, apprehending a danger to the Ummah from the Jews and other anti-Islam forces had strived for creating a consciousness among the masses about the designs of such forces.

After the Afghanistan War against the USSR, the Jehadi parties could not maintain a unity for formation of a stable government in Afghanistan and thus certain groups joined the Taliban who captured power in Kabul and successfully maintained law and order. But the so-called superpowers became inimical to them and Osama Bin Ladin, who previously was a hero of the US government, suddenly became a target and was suspected of each and every evil act committed anywhere in the world as he had demanded withdrawal of the American forces from the Saudi Arabia, the petitioner said.

Apprehending a danger to the unity, integrity, sovereignty and solidarity of Pakistan, the religious parties in Pakistan were compelled to form Pakistan-Afghanistan Defence Council, the petitioner said, adding Liaquat Baluch was assigned the duty of maintaining a liaison between parties as PADC coordination secretary.

“The US and its allies made all preparations for the removal of the Taliban government which was earlier recognized by Pakistan and some other Muslim countries.

“In order to attain its goal and taking advantage of a weak government in Pakistan, the US straightaway threatened the self-styled President of Pakistan to toe the line of the allies and adopt absolutely a reverse policy of Pakistan towards the Taliban”.

The government could not withstand pressure and they surrendered to the will of the US government, the petitioner contended.

It was also the maintained that the electronic media here started a propaganda in favour of the US through paid commentators, condemning the sympathisers of the Afghans and the Talibans.

The PADC protested over such a propaganda and asked the government to realize the consequences of siding with an unholy alliance which consisted of even enemies of Pakistan, like Israel and India.

“The government was annoyed with the conduct of some leaders of the religious parties so much so that demonstrations against air-strikes in Afghanistan, which are permissible even in the US, UK, France, Italy, Germany, Malaysia, Indonesia, South Africa and the world over, became a crime in Pakistan. Qazi Hussain Ahmed and others who challenged the American policy were arrested.

The petitioner drew the attention of the court to the dropping of thousands of cruise missiles and cluster bombs on hospitals, schools, and houses, killing and wounding civilians, under the garb of eliminating terrorism. He also drew the attention of the court towards the worldwide protests against unprecedented inhuman brutal acts.

The disaster in Afghanistan at the hands of false propagandists of the “human rights” had assumed an alarming propositions, he contended.

“Article 19 envisaged freedom of speech and expression while no action detrimental to life, liberty, body, reputation or property of any person can be taken except in accordance with the law. But the government in utter disregard of Articles 4 & 9 passed detention order apparently under Sindh Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, 1960, also violating Article 10 of the Constitution. He claimed that neither the detention order had been served nor grounds of detention had been supplied.

It was also the contention of petitioner that the apprehensions of religious parties, became true as the country’s national integrity, sovereignty, solidarity and security had been exposed to a great risk.

The western borders of Pakistan have become insecure due to occupation of border areas by the Northern Alliance of Afghanistan who have the backing of India, Russia and Iran while the eastern borders were exposed to a wicked enemy of Pakistan — India.

From Pakistan sea-waters, American and Israelis pilots were flying over air-space of Pakistan, besides they were making an exclusive use of certain air-bases in Pakistan, the petitioner alleged and contended that it was the duty of every citizen of Pakistan to rise to the occasion and lodge a protest in the national interest against such an ill-advised and anti-Pakistan decision, to save Pakistan and its atomic power.

It was also contended that thousands of innocent men, women and children had been brutally killed or have maimed and millions have been rendered homeless and chastity of Muslim women and dignity of human beings was at stake.

It was, therefore, prayed that the SHC issues an order, directing the production of the detainee, and setting him at liberty.