LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday sought explanation from Punjab government as to why a mentally ill man was detained by local authorities after being repatriated from Afghanistan’s Bagram jail.

Justice Khalid Mahmood Khan gave 24 hours to the government for a reply when an additional advocate general failed to satisfy the court during the hearing.

The Justice Project Pakistan (JPP) filed a petition, saying the repatriated man, Iftikhar Ahmed, was still detained at Sahiwal Jail, while others released from Bagram jail were released.

JPP counsel Barrister Sarah Bilal argued that despite being visibly mentally ill, Iftikhar had been detained for a period exceeding 60 days without any charge or trial.

She also presented Sahiwal Jail medical officer’s report to prove that Iftikhar suffered from psychiatric problems.

The hearing will be resumed on Thursday (today).

FIA inspector: A sessions’ court on Wednesday issued a notice to an officer of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for not submitting a reply to a petition seeking action against the father and brother of a former PML-N MPA on charges of obtaining fake documents in connivance with National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) officials.

Petitioner Gohar Sarfraz Qureshi said the FIA had initiated an inquiry into the allegations but dropped it due to alleged political pressure by former MPA Shamsa Yousaf.

He alleged that Muhammad Yousaf and Haider Yousaf, father and brother of the former MPA, got their identity cards on forged documents with the help of Nadra authorities in Kasur.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Mehtab Ghaffar Shah issued several notices to the FIA but the case investigating officer, Inspector Javed Sultan, did not appear in the court. Therefore, on Wednesday the judge issued him a notice with a direction to submit an explanation by Aug 23.

Report sought: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday sought a report from the federal government about progress on payment of compensation to the affected families of Joseph Colony inferno.

Zaman Masih and dozens of other affectees had filed petitions saying that 30 out of 190 affected families were still waiting for compensation announced by the then president Asif Ali Zardari.

A state counsel told the court that verification of the affected families was in process. He said the payment of the compensation would start soon.

Justice Ayesha A. Malik expressed dismay over inordinate delay in the payment and observed that the government should have honoured its pledges.

The judge adjourned hearing of the petition till second week of September and directed the state counsel to come with progress report on the matter.

The petitioners pleaded the government had announced Rs500,000 for each affected family. They asked the court to direct the government to fulfill its commitment.

Eid holidays: Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice Khwaja Imtiaz Ahmad has said the judiciary in Punjab will observe Eidul Fitr holidays from July 28 to Aug 1.

The LHC, Lahore principal seat, and its allied benches in Rawalpindi, Multan and Bahawalpur as well as sessions and civil courts in Punjab would observe these holidays, says a notification issued by the LHC registrar.

Published in Dawn, July 24th, 2014