KARACHI, Feb 11: The Advocate-General of Sindh on Friday sought time to submit reply to the amended petition filed by the doctor brothers in the Sindh High Court.

SHC's division bench, comprising Justice Ataur Rehman and Justice Zia Pervez, has fixed Feb 23 for the next hearing in the amended petition filed in pursuance of a fresh detention order of the Sindh government, extending the detention of Dr Akmal Waheed and Dr Arshad Waheed till March 1.

The home department had earlier on Dec 2 ordered detention of Dr Akmal Waheed and his brother Dr Arshad Waheed for 30 days under section 11-E of Anti Terrorism Act for their alleged links with banned Hizbul Tehrir, Al Qaeda and Jundullah soon after their release order by the Sindh High Court on bail in case in which they are charged with sheltering Al Qaeda, Jundullah activists, providing them funds and medical treatment.

Later, the detention was extended. The detention notifications were challenged by Dr Fouzia Akmal and Dr Farzana Naz submitting their spouses were illegally detained after their release on bail by the Sindh High Court under ATA.

It was contended by the petitioner's counsel, Ilyas Khan and Mohammad Farooq, that the home department notification was illegal and liable to be struck down. The miscellaneous application of the petitioner for re-hearing will also be taken up with the main application.

The application stated that the petitioners were not provided opportunity to rebut the allegations levelled by the Sindh government, praying the court to hear petitioner's counsel after showing video evidence to justify "whether such a practice is legally acceptable." -PPI