ISLAMABAD, Oct 17: The Lahore High Court, Rawalpindi Bench, on Wednesday ordered the Punjab government to explain why it had detained two persons acquitted by the anti-terrorism court of the charge of murdering five Iranian cadets in 1997.

Qari Mohammad Sarfraz and Mohammad Asif were accused in the case of Iranian cadets murder in Choor Chowk, Rawalpindi. An Anti-Terrorism Court awarded death sentence to Mohammad Asif. The sentence was upheld by the LHC. The Supreme Court, after finding faults with the trial, remanded the case back to the ATC for fresh trial. The ATC acquitted both of them.

The government of Punjab filed appeal against the ATC decision in the LHC, Rawalpindi bench, which is still pending. The government, however, detained both Qari Sarfraz and Mohammad Asif under Maintenance of Public Order.

When they challenged their detention under the MPO, Justice Mohammad Nawaz Abbasi declared their detention illegal. They were, however, not released.

The court on Wednesday observed that the fresh detention orders were based on “stereotype grounds” and the government should explain why they were not being released.

Raja Saeed Akram, Assistant Advocate General Punjab, asked the court to grant some time to allow him to consult the relevant officials before replying to the court.

The case will now be taken up again on Tuesday.