11 November 2004	Thursday	27 Ramazan 1425

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ISLAMABAD, Nov 10: The Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed a petition seeking constitution of a medical board to examine Dr A.Q. Khan after the nuclear scientist said the plea had been filed without his consent.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Mohammad Nawaz Abbasi and Justice Faqir Mohammad Khokhar acted on a report of Supreme Court Registrar M.A. Farooqi, who informed the court that Dr Khan had told him that the petition had been filed without his consent and knowledge.

Mr Farooqi visited the scientist at his lake-side house in Bani Galla on the court's instructions on Wednesday to report on his medical condition.

After the meeting, the registrar, acting as a bailiff of the court, submitted a written report stating that he found Dr Khan in good health.

The nuclear scientist also informed the registrar that he was getting the service of the same medical specialists who had looked after his health during his service, the report said.

Hassamul Haque, chairman of the Khan Release Liaison Committee, had filed the petition last week requesting the court to order the constitution of a medical board to examine Dr Khan, because of his 'deteriorating health'.

Dr Khan, according to the registrar's report, had no complaints and the petition invoking the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court had been filed without 'his consent and knowledge'.

Advocate Muhammad Ikram Chaudhry had earlier submitted a written request for permission to withdraw the petition he had filed on behalf of his client, Mr Haq.

"The petitioner has been requested by Dr Khan showing his extreme keenness, wish and desire that the petitioner should not press the cause and must withdraw the case as the same would serve the interest of Dr Khan," the application said.

Attorney-General Makhdoom Ali Khan, appearing on behalf of the federation, rejected the allegations levelled in the petition that the "life and liberty of Dr Khan were in great danger" and that the scientist had become a 'psycho case'.

In a three-page rejoinder to the petition, the attorney-general denied that Dr Khan had recently fallen unconscious and suffered a stroke. He said that Dr Khan suffered from high blood pressure. The allegations in the petition, the rejoinder said, had been levelled deliberately and maliciously and were scandalous.

The attorney-general said that Mr Haq had no locus standi to file a petition about Dr Khan because he was not related to him. He accused the petitioner of levelling the allegations to make a political capital.

He denied that Dr Khan had been made available to the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigations) or some other US officials for interrogation, that he was under mental and physical pressure to make statements or that he had expressed dissatisfaction over the panel of physicians attending on him.

The rejoinder clarified that Dr Khan was under treatment of the same panel of doctors of the same hospital where he used to be treated earlier.