09 February 2004	Monday	17 Zilhaj 1424

ISLAMABAD, Feb 8: The Lahore High Court, Rawalpindi Bench, will on Monday decide the habeas corpus petitions of six retired and serving employees of Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) who have been detained for 'debriefing sessions'.

The court on the last date of hearing had given the government a final chance to come up with its version on the detention of nuclear scientists and other officials, as the government had avoided giving anything in writing on the last five hearings, and only kept repeating its demand for adjournment of the hearing.

The first three hearings were conducted by Justice Maulvi Anwarul Haq, but the remaining two were conducted by a division bench comprising Justice Maulvi Anwarul Haq and Justice Mansoor Ahmad as the government wanted the hearing to be done by a bench comprising more than one judge.

The government, after admitting the detention, had not provided any justification for the detention, and verbally said that the matter was of great sensitivity, and the court should keep itself away from the matter, at least for the time being.

Those who have approached the court are Mohammad Farooq, DG KRL; Maj (retd) Islamul Haq, Principal Staff Officer of Dr A.Q. Khan; Brig (retd) Sajawal Khan, retired as DG Maintenance and General Services Division; Dr Naseemuddin, currently head of Missile Manufacturing; Brig (retd) Mohammad Iqbal Tajwar, former DG Security; and Dr Nazeer Ahmad, chief engineer, metallurgy department, KRL.

Another petition by a committee named Khans' Release Liaison Committee, comprising the relatives of detained KRL officials, has also been filed separately, stating that Dr A.Q. Khan's detention should also be declared illegal. None of the relatives of Dr A.Q. Khan, however, has approached the court for his release.

In the meanwhile, the government has also handed over to the relatives of the detained officials their detention orders passed under the Security of Pakistan Act.

According to the members of Khans' Release Liaison Committee, a similar order has also been issued to Dr A.Q. Khan. The government officials, however, are not admitting it, and only saying that Dr Khan's security has been beefed up.

The legal experts, dealing with the case, are of the view that after the passage of detention orders, and registration of FIR against the officials, the habeas corpus petition is most likely to be disposed of without further hearing.