ISLAMABAD, Jan 30: The Lahore High Court Rawalpindi bench on Friday ordered the government to arrange a meeting of the detained KRL employees with their relatives on Eidul Azha , and the attorney-general to appear before the court at the next hearing of the case on Feb 9.

The court, that adjourned the case for the sixth time on Friday, gave a 'last chance' to the government to submit a written answer to the points raised in the habeas corpus petitions.

The deputy attorney-general on Friday informed the bench that the government had requested the chief justice of the Lahore High Court to constitute a larger bench for the hearing of "this important case".

On an enquiry from the office, Justice Maulvi Anwarul Haq was informed that an order for the constitution of two member bench had been passed by the chief justice.

When the two-member bench comprising Justice Maulvi Anwarul Haq and Justice Mansoor Ahmed took up the petitions, the counsel representing the petitioners demanded that contempt of court proceedings should be initiated as the government was flagrantly violating the orders of the court.

Counsel Chaudhry Mohammad Ikram, Barrister Tariq Khokhar and advocate Shah Khawar demanded that after the admission of the state counsel that the KRL officials were in their custody, the court should direct the respondents to produce them.

Advocate Shah Khawar informed the court that the government claim that it had appointed a liaison officer to facilitate contacts to the detained scientists with their families was not correct. When the family of Dr Nazir Ahmad contacted the official concerned, he refused to help, the counsel added.

These counsel said there were many cases available on the subject, and cited a number of superior courts' judgements in the defence of their clients. The counsel representing the government, DAG Tariq Chaudhry, and Tariq Shamim again asked the court to adjourn the case as the government needed more time to prepare a reply.

They also argued that when a petition had already been filed on the same subject in the Supreme Court, the LHC should wait for a judgment from the Supreme Court.

When the court asked if they knew the number of petitions filed by Habib Wahabul Kheiri in the Supreme Court, the counsel failed to give the number. The court ignored their plea.

Standing counsel for the federation, Tariq Shamim said the scientists were only being questioned by security agencies. The court found the arguments of the two counsels at variance and adjourned the proceedings for a short interval and asked the state counsel to call the attorney-general.

When the court assembled again, the state counsel informed that the attorney-general was busy in a meeting and could not appear before the court at short notice. Then the court ordered that the meeting of the detainees should be arranged with their relatives from 9am to 4pm on Eid.