LAHORE – The Supreme Court on Monday barred the authorities fromimplementing the Lahore High Court’s order to release Tehreek-e-LabbaikPakistan (TLP) chief Saad Hussain Rizvi.
A two-member bench comprising Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan and Justice SayyedMazhar Ali Akbar was hearing a petition filed by the Punjab governmentagainst the LHC order to free the TLP head.
The apex court has remanded the case to an LHC’s two-member special bench,directing it to hear arguments from both sides.
On October 1, LHC had declared the detention of Saad Rizvi “illegal” andordered his release. The provincial government in its petition argues thatthe release order did not fulfill all legal requirements.
In today’s hearing, the Punjab government’s lawyer said that 12 peopleincluding three policemen were killed in protests held in April 2021,urging the government to expel the French ambassador over the publicationof blasphemous caricatures in France.
When Justice Naqvi asked the government counsel if a notification had beenissued for Rizvi’s detention under the Anti-Terrorism Act, he replied inaffirmative.
Replying to a court’s question, Saad Rizvi’s uncle and counsel said thatthe TLP chief was in detention when the violence occurred. They informedthe court that Rizvi has been detained by the government for six monthswithout any reason.
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On October 1, the Lahore High Court declared the detention of Rizvi asillegal in response to a plea filed by his uncle.
Following the court orders, the Lahore deputy commissioner directed therelease of Rizvi. In addition, the DC’s order had referred to two earlierdecisions taken by the federal review board of the Supreme Court (SC) withregards to Rizvi’s detention.
Earlier, a review board of the LHC also rejected the Punjab HomeDepartment’s request to extend Rizvi’s detention under the Maintenance ofPublic Order (MPO) Ordinance, 1960.
The new TLP chief was nabbed earlier in April under the MPO ordinance forinciting his followers as the government had reneged on its promise toexpel the French envoy.
The federal government also declared TLP an outlawed organisation underanti-terrorism laws and launched a broad crackdown against the party. PrimeMinister Imran while commenting on the matter said the officials had takenaction against the TLP as it challenged the ‘writ of the state’.
