ISLAMABAD, Aug 1: The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the government to justify prolonged imprisonment of the president of the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD), Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, and observed that apparently the convict had completed his jail term.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, Justice Rana Bhagwandas and Justice Faqir Mohammad Khokhar, while hearing a review petition of Mr Hashmi against his conviction and non-entitlement to remission in jail term, rejected an application of the government to adjourn the matter for a month.

It decided to take up the petition again on Friday with an observation that prima facie it appeared that the petitioner had completed his jail term and no one could be kept in prison after completion of his sentence. The government was directed to come prepared to justify extended detention.

Advocate-on-Record Arshed Chaudhry told the bench that State Prosecutor Munir Bhatti was out of the country because of vacations in the Supreme Court and the hearing should be adjourned for a month.

The bench declined long adjournment and ordered the government to arrange another counsel if Mr Bhatti was abroad.

Advocate Mohammad Akram Sheikh, the counsel for Mr Hashmi, argued that his client had almost completed his seven-year jail term with the benefit of remissions but the authorities were reluctant to grant him remission on the ground that he was involved in mutiny.

Justice Khokhar pointed out that Mr Hashmi’s appeal against his conviction had not been heard even for a single time.