July 13, 2002	Saturday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 2, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, July 12: The Rawalpindi bench of the Lahore High Court on Friday issued notice to the Attorney-General of Pakistan on the petition filed by a religious party seeking explanation under what authority the US Federal Bureau of Investigation was operating in the country.

Jamiat Ahle Hadees chief Prof Sajid Meer had moved the court on Thursday, seeking certain explanations about the operation going on in the country against the Al Qaeda fugitives.

Justice Saeed Akhtar heard Deputy Attorney-General Sultan Mansoor and Chaudhry Ikram, counsel for the petitioner, before he decided to issue notice to the AGP and directed the IGPs of all the provinces to submit statements with three weeks.

The petitioner impleaded President Pervez Musharraf, the interior minister, the ISI director-general, the secretary of defence, and Inspectors-General of Police.

The case will now be taken up after three weeks.

The petitioner requested the court to ask President Musharraf under what authority he had permitted the FBI and the US army to interfere in the country’s affairs. The offices of the petitioner’s party were raided by the local agencies and the FBI personnel recently.

He further sought explanation why the Pakistan army, police, and the ISI were acting under directions of the FBI and the US army.

The petitioner inquired how many Pakistani and foreigners had been killed, arrested, detained, and handed over to the US authorities since Sept 11 to date.