KARACHI, Feb 3: The Sindh High Court will hear arguments on the affect of the new one-month order for the detention of doctor brothers on the pending petition for their release on Tuesday.

At the rehearing on Thursday, Additional Advocate-General M. Ahmed Pirzada produced the latest (second) order extending the detention of Dr Akmal Waheed and Dr Arshad Waheed till March 1, but said Advocate-General Anwar Mansoor Khan being on general adjournment, was unable to appear and advance arguments.

Representing the petitioner wives of the detainees, Advocate M. Ilyas Khan said the court was fully competent to announce the judgment it reserved on Jan 25. The petition questioned the (expired) detention order but it also challenged the vires of the notification that led to their arrest and detention.

When the bench, which consisted of Justices Ataur Rahman and Zia Pervez, observed that he did previously amend the petition pending against the first detention order of December 2, 2004, the counsel said the petition was being heard and had not been reserved for announcement of a judgment on it. The bench fixed Feb 8 for further hearing.