ISLAMABAD: The federal government submitted on Tuesday some ‘classified documents’ before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) during an in-camera hearing on the petition of the alleged mastermind of Mumbai attacks Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi to defend his detention under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO).

IHC Justice Noorul Haq N. Qureshi held over two-hour-long in-camera session on the request of Additional Attorney General Afnan Karim Kundi.

Also read: Legal loopholes led to Lakhvi’s bailing out

After showing ‘sensitive documents’ to Justice Qureshi during the hearing, Federal Investigation Agency’s special prosecutor Abuzar Husnain Pirzada left the court, ignoring the journalists who were waiting outside for the outcome of the hearing.

The in-camera hearing continued after the judge had seen the papers presented by Mr Pirzada. Later, Justice Qureshi issued an order which says that owing to lengthy arguments advanced by the parties concerned it had been decided to adjourn the matter till Wednesday (today).

After the conclusion of arguments by Mr Kundi, Advocate General Islamabad Mian Abdul Rauf and Lakhvi’s counsel Raja Rizwan Abbasi, the court would announce the order on the Lakhvi’s detention the same day.

After an anti-terrorism court had granted bail to Lakhvi on Dec 18, the federal government detained him under the MPO.

On Dec 26, the IHC suspended the detention and the federal government challenged the IHC’s order in the Supreme Court. The apex court on Jan 7 restored the detention order and remanded the case back to the IHC with the direction to decide the matter after hearing all the stakeholders.

Published in Dawn, January 14th, 2015

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