LAHORE, June 5: The Freemasons Lodges were rightfully taken over by the government, a deputy attorney-general submitted before the Lahore High Court on Wednesday.

DAG Khwaja Saeeduz Zafar said the takeover was successfully challenged but the then chief martial law administrator (Gen Ziaul Haq) issued a martial law regulation (MLR 56) to extend legal cover to the measure. The regulation was validated and protected by the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution.

Earlier, Advocate, Shabbar Raza Rizvi submitted on behalf of the master of lodges, petitioner Kabir A. Sheikh, that the action was mala fide and could not be validated. He cited the Supreme Court judgment in Ghulam Mustafa Khar’s case.

The law officer replied that in Khar’s case, the impugned decision did not accord with the martial law order under which it was taken. No action was taken under MRL 56, which only condoned for takeover. The Eighth Amendment, he said, had been upheld by the Supreme Court in the Achakzai case.

The DAG said the lodges were taken over because Freemasonry was a highly secretive organization and was said to be working against the interests of Muslim world.

Justice Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry adjourned further hearing for June 14.