March 9, 2006	Thursday	Safar 8, 1427

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LAHORE, March 8: Justice Syed Zahid Husain of the Lahore High Court on Wednesday dismissed on technical grounds a writ petition through which Jamaat-i-Islami leader Aslam Saleemi had challenged the detention of Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal president Qazi Husain Ahmad.

The court observed that the petition against the detention had not been filed after seeking a home department decision on a representation as ordained by a full bench of the LHC. The petition was, thus, premature and could not be maintained, according to the LHC decision.

MMA chief Qazi Husain Ahmad was detained for one month for the second time on Feb 24 and placed under house-arrest in Mansoora under section 3 of the MPO. The court said the decision was not based on merit but on technical grounds, which required a detainee to first make a representation to the home department and then seek a remedy from the high court if he or she was not satisfied with the departmental decision.

The court directed the home department to decide in seven days if and when the detainee approached in a representation. A writ petition was only to follow the home department decision, it said. The decision was announced late in the afternoon after the court concluded the hearing of the petition when both sides had completed their arguments.