ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) judge Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui on Tuesday recused himself from hearing a petition filed by Shuhada Foundation of Lal Masjid challenging the ongoing operations against the terror suspects.

He cited personal reasons for his decision and referred the matter to the chief justice IHC for assigning it to any other bench.

Following the recent terrorist attacks in Lahore and Sehwan Sharif, the law enforcement agencies launched a nationwide crackdown on terrorists and reportedly killed 100 suspected terrorists in a single day.

The petitioner’s counsel Tariq Asad informed the court the military’s media wing, the Inter Services Public Relations, said that Afghan authorities had been handed over a list of 76 terrorists who were hiding across the border and planning, directing, supporting terrorist activities in Pakistan.

In the petition, he argued that the respondents do not have the right to capture people without due process of law and take their life in violation of their fundamental rights.

The petitioner requested the court to restrain the respondents from killing citizens without due process of law.

He also prayed the court to restrain the respondents from arresting citizens and sought a list of those who were currently in the custody of security agencies.

Published in Dawn, February 22nd, 2017