LAHORE: Hafiz Muhammad Saeed has approached the Lahore High Court against ban on social welfare activities and freezing of accounts of his two organisations - Jamatud Dawa (JuD) and Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation (FIF).

In a petition filed through senior lawyer AK Dogar, Mr Saeed states the ministry of interior on Feb 10 issued a notification to freeze bank accounts and take over assets associated with both organisations - the JuD and the FIF - under the Anti-Terrorism (amendment) Ordinance of 2018.

The petitioner pleads that the government of Pakistan acted under the pressure of foreign powers, including the United Nations and India. He contends that Pakistan is a sovereign independent state and makes its own laws to govern its citizens. If there is a conflict between the laws of the land and any provision of United Nations Security Counsel Act, 1948, the law of the land shall prevail, he adds. The petitioner asks the court to declare the impugned notification of the interior ministry null and void with regard to taking over the assets of the organisations.

Published in Dawn, March 16th, 2018