November 3, 2003	Monday	Ramazan 7, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, Nov 2: PML-N acting president Makhdoom Javed Hashmi was not produced before a court of law on the District Court premises on Thursday for obtaining his physical remand. Instead, a magistrate was taken to a house to issue the remand, a source in the capital police told Dawn on Sunday.

Judicial Magistrate and Civil Judge Aslam Gondal was taken in a vehicle (IDP-1003) to the house located in sector G-11/4 where Mr Hashmi was detained, the source claimed.

DSPs Farrukh Rashid and Ishaq Warraich, SHO Industrial Area police Musarrat Khan and Investigation Officer Mohammed Bashir accompanied the judge.

“The judge, along with four police officials, arrived at the house at around 5pm where he issued five-day physical remand of Mr Hashmi,” the source said.

He said Interior Minister Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat had directed the police not to take Mr Hashmi to the Districts Court premises where journalists and PML-N leaders and workers were waiting for the appearance of Mr Hashmi, who is also president of the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy.

Talking to this correspondent, a PML(N) leader, advocate Zafar Ali Shah, said lawyers had not been allowed to meet their client, Mr Hashmi.

He said the PML-N had filed a habeas corpus petition before the Lahore High Court, Rawalpindi Bench, requesting the court to allow Mr Hashmi’s family members and his lawyers to meet him.

Mr Shah said the first hearing of the petition would be held on Monday.

He said the police had not provided a copy of the FIR to Mr Hashmi’s lawyers, causing a delay in preparation of replies to the charges against Mr Hashmi.

Police on Wednesday night arrested Mr Hashmi at his Parliament Lodges apartment on charges of abetting mutiny.

Confirming the arrest, the interior minister said the arrest had been made under Article 131 of the Pakistan Penal Code.