LAHORE, April 4: The chief justice of the Lahore High Court on Friday directed the SSPs of Lahore and Okara to appear in person before him on April 7 and inform him of the whereabouts of four leaders of the Punjab Anjuman-i-Mazareen detained illegally three days ago.

He further directed them to submit a detailed report citing reasons for their arrest and keeping them in illegal confinement.

Farooq Tariq filed a habeas corpus petition contending that four Anjuman leaders, Younis Iqbal, Dr Christopher John, Sajid Baloch and Fahim Ahmad, were travelling by a car on the Multan Road, Lahore, on April 2, when they were intercepted by a squad comprising Rangers and police officials who took them into custody and took them to a undisclosed place. The car was also impounded, the petitioner submitted.

He contended that the whereabouts of all the four leaders were not known to their families or friends as yet while the police and Rangers authorities have shown complete ignorance in this regard.

He stated that the arrested men had not yet been nominated in any case or produced before a judicial officer to get their physical remand.

He requested the CJ to appoint a bailiff to recover the four leaders along with the vehicle and proceed against the Punjab Rangers DIG, and SSPs of Lahore and Okara for keeping them in illegal confinement.