ISLAMABAD, Sept 22: Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Nazim Hussain Siddiqui on Wednesday took suo motu notice of the arrest of senior Supreme Court lawyer Habib Wahabul Khairi and directed Advocate General Punjab to submit a report within two days on the detention of the lawyer.

The chief justice has also directed placing the matter concerning the arrest of Mr Khairi on an FIR registered some 37 years ago before him in his chamber on Friday. The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), while condemning the arrest of Mr Khairi on an old case, had earlier requested the chief justice to take notice of the situation. The SCBA had also formed a two-member committee to pursue the case.

Soon after Supreme Court's notice, the attitude of the police was dramatically changed as the statement of Mr Khairi was finally recorded on the sixth day of his arrest, said Zulfikar Bhutta, Mr Khairi's counsel.

He told Dawn that Habib Wahabul Khairi was brought from the Waris Khan police station to the CIA Centre Rawalpindi where his statement was recorded in the presence of Deputy Superintendent Police (DSP) Rana Shahid.

The counsel also had the chance to briefly meet Mr Khairi when he was being taken back to the police station. During the discourse, he said, Mr Khairi was also told about the chief justice's orders.

Earlier, despite efforts, the counsel was not allowed to meet Mr Khairi. Soon after Mr Khairi's arrest, a judicial magistrate had granted 10 days remand of Habib Wahabul Khairi during the police custody without producing him before any court.

Mr Khairi, who came to prominence after the famous March 20 judges case, was picked up by New Town Police Rawalpindi on Friday night under sections 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property of fraudulent deeds and disposition of property), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating) and 471 (using as genuine a forged document) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). Mr Khairi was also thrashed by some unknown persons recently but the police declined to register the case in this regard.