LAHORE, March 10: Justice Sheikh Abdur Rashid of the Lahore High Court on Thursday suspended the detention order of two activists of the outlawed Hizbut Tehreer and allowed them to be set on bail.

The court also issued notice to the Punjab Home Department to explain within two weeks a cogent reason for the detention of Hakeem Ehsanur Rehman Jagranvi and Abdullah Abu Zar, who were arrested on Oct 15 last year.

The two were sent behind bars and the order of their detention under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance was issued on Oct 22. They were later detained under Section 11-EEE of the Anti-Terrorism Act. A notification to this effect was issued on Jan 10.

Their counsel, Omar Hayat Sandhu, submitted in court that the Punjab government had given no cogent reason for the detention. He said the orders issued on both occasions lacked a legal ground.

The counsel also submitted that the defunct Hizbut Tehreer was neither a sectarian organization nor was it involved in terrorism. The government, he argued, had no evidence of their involvement in terrorism.

They were arrested, along with 13 others, outside the Muslim Masjid at Lohari Gate while distributing pamphlets.