LAHORE, May 22: The Lahore High Court on Tuesday sought a reply from the Interior Ministry on a petition of two Hafeez Centre traders and an employee against their ‘harassment’ at the hands of Pakistani authorities after Indian media declared them terrorists.

Petitioner Mehtab, Atif (traders) and Babar (security guard) submitted that the allegations by the Indian media not only damaged their reputation but also tarnished Pakistan’s image in the world.

They said though the Indian media’s story had proved bogus, Pakistani secret agencies were still harassing them. They requested the court to restrain the local agencies from harassing them and sought protection against their possible arrest.

Justice Umar Ata Bandial adjourned hearing till June 8 and directed the ministry to submit its reply by the date.

An Indian newspaper had published the pictures of the petitioners, dubbing them as terrorists. Mumbai police had claimed the ‘terrorists’ (petitioners) entered India to carry out attacks. However, the petitioners claimed they never visited India.