LAHORE: President Ayub today [Nov 4] indicated that his Government had no intention of amending Article 98 of the Constitution. The indication came while he was answering a newsman’s question at the airport whether there was any move in the Government quarters to amend the Constitution so as to debar the High Courts from going into the grounds of detention.

“What makes you think there is a move.” The President asked the newsman, and when the latter referred to the hue and cry being raised by certain quarters about the reported move, the President said, “What can you do about things like that.”

The impugned portion of the article reads as follows: 98(2)(b)(l) Subject to this constitution, a High Court of a province may, if it is satisfied that no other adequate remedy is provided by law, on the application of any person make an order directing that a person in custody in the province be brought before the High Court so that the court may satisfy itself that he is not being held in custody without lawful authority, or in an unlawful manner.

Published in Dawn, December 5th, 2018