LAHORE, Feb 10: An anti-terrorism court dismissed on Monday the application of Dr Ahmad Javed Khwaja and his brother, seeking permission to sacrifice animals in jail on Eidul Azha.

Dismissing the application, the court observed that the applicants were neither political detainees nor did the jail manual permit them to sacrifice animals there.

The court, however, allowed the meeting of the detained men with their family in jail on Feb 11.

Meanwhile, the court adjourned till Feb 17 the proceedings for arguments on prosecution’s application for holding their trial in jail.

The prosecution claimed on the last hearing that the provincial home department had allowed the trial of two Khwajas in jail because of security reasons. A notification had also been furnished with the court in this regard.

Defence counsel Naveed Inayat Malik submitted that the trial should be held in the presence of media since the government officials would tamper with the judicial record in jail. He further argued that it was the prerogative of the court to allow the trial of the two Khwajas in jail and it could not be instructed by the home department in this regard.