LAHORE, March 31: The Lahore High Court has asked the Punjab government to explain by April 5 why a person was kept in jail after being released on bail. The court observed on Wednesday that no person could be kept in a jail after a court of law accepted his or her plea for bail.

The court was hearing a writ petition filed by a resident of Kharian, Abdul Haq, who was accused by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) of sending people abroad on bogus documents.

Another case against Abdul Haq was registered by the Kharian police on charges that he attacked an FIA team that attempted to take him into custody on Jan 23.

The accused was arrested and sent to jail. Upon an application, the special judge in Lahore allowed his release on bail on March 15. A magistrate in Kharian accepted his bail application on March 17 and issued orders for his release. The orders reached the Camp Jail in Lahore on March 19 along with bail bonds, but the jail authorities did not release him.

Abdul Haq filed a writ petition with the Lahore High Court through Advocate MD Tahir, and the court summoned the jail officials for an explanation on lack of compliance with the orders of subordinate courts.

The superintendent of Camp Jail appeared in the high court on Wednesday and submitted that Abdul Haq was not released because he was wanted in another case in Balochistan for which a letter was received from the FIA in Quetta.