BAHAWALPUR, Dec 16: The former chief of the banned Jaish-i- Muhammad, Maulana Masood Azhar, has not been released despite the Lahore High Court orders.

Senior police officers told this correspondent on Monday that they had yet to receive a directive from the home department in this regard. They said that the detention period of Maulana Azhar will expire on Tuesday (Dec 17). “The Maulana will be released if his detention is not extended,” they said.

A review board of the Lahore High Court had on Dec 14 refused to accept government’s version regarding extension in the detention period of Maulana Masood Azhar and ordered to set him at liberty.

Maulana Azhar has been detained in his Kausar Colony house, which has been declared a sub jail. A heavy contingent of police was outside the house till late on Monday night.

FOUND DEAD: An eight-year-old boy, abducted last month, was found dead from a minor near Ahmadpur East on Monday.

Muhammad Aslam had told police that some unidentified men had abducted his son Waqar Ahmad from outside his house on Nov 23. Ahmadpur East City police registered a case and sent the body to the THQ Hospital for autopsy.