ISLAMABAD, July 25: The Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi bench deleted the petition of Qari Saifullah Akhtar, detained on suspicion of his alleged links with dubious organisations, from the cause-list on Monday.

The case had been placed on the list and was to be heard by Justice Abdul Shakoor Paracha but it was removed at the eleventh hour, said Abdur Rehman Mehmood, the brother-in-law of Saifullah.

The petitioner’s counsel Hashmat Ali Habib said Saifullah had been associated with a banned religious outfit. He was arrested in Dubai and brought to Pakistan. His family filed a petition in the high court in which the ministry of interior and the Inter Services Intelligence were made respondents.

The interior ministry and ISI cleared their position by denying that Saifullah had been in their custody. But the petitioner wanted further hearing of the case. The petitioner’s counsel contended that they had provided full records to the court but the case was removed from the list.