November 15, 2003	Saturday	Ramazan 19, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, Nov 14: Adiala Jail authorities did not allow the family of ARD president Makhdoom Javed Hashmi and his lawyers to meet him despite court orders.

Judicial magistrate Amir Saleem Rana had given permission to Mr Hashmi’s family to meet him in Adiala Jail on Friday. But, the jail authorities claimed that since the meeting time was over, they were not allowed to meet him.

Talking to Dawn, MNA Maimoona Hashmi, daughter of Javed Hashmi, termed the behaviour of the jail authorities as unjust. She said they were resorting to political victimization.

She said: “We approached the superintendent Adiala Jail on telephone after receiving orders from the judicial magistrate, Islamabad, but he was not present in his office.”

Similarly, when DSP Adiala Jail was contacted, he said only the superintendent had the authority to allow them to meet Javed Hashmi, she added.

Ms Hashmi said when she, her family and lawyers reached Adiala jail at about 12 noon, the jail authorities stopped them, saying meeting time was till 12 noon. The authorities did not even permit Mr Hashmi to receive medical treatment at a hospital despite court orders, she said.