LAHORE, March 6: The three Khwajas filed on Thursday a petition before the Lahore High Court, seeking conviction of Punjab home secretary for not releasing them on Feb 17 despite court orders.

Dr Umar Karar, Dr Khizar Ali and Muhammad Usman, detained under the Security of Pakistan Act, 1952, were released on Wednesday night.

The Punjab government had refused to release them on Feb 17 saying it had passed fresh orders for their detention under MPO.

Petitioners’ counsel Hamid Khan submitted that despite the release of his clients, the court had the authority to penalise the provincial home secretary on contempt charges.

He pleaded that the court should not take a lenient view in this regard and consider the matter on merit. He further argued that the contempt had been committed prior to release of his clients.

The Punjab advocate-general and the deputy attorney-general had not disclosed on Feb 17 that fresh detention orders under MPO were passed by the provincial government, the counsel alleged.

He claimed that these detention orders were passed later to frustrate the LHC’s orders. The authorities concerned had no other option but to release them once the Supreme Court had upheld their release orders. The court adjourned till March 10 further proceedings.