No evidence produced to link Saeed to Mumbai attacks: Pak HC

M Zulqernain

Lahore, Jun 7 (PTI) Pakistani authorities did not
produce any evidence to link JuD chief Hafiz Mohd Saeed to the
Mumbai terror attacks, the Lahore High Court has said in its
detailed judgement, days after he was set free by the court.

"The Attorney General contended that the petitioners
are being blamed to be involved in Mumbai attacks, we have
observed that not a single document has been brought on record
that the petitioners are involved in it," the court ruled.

A three-member full bench of court Saturday in its
detailed verdict maintained that "no documentary or any other
evidence" was produced against the detention of Saeed and
others.

The court, in its 29-page verdict, observed the
detainees were not informed regarding reasons of their
detention within the period of three months which was a legal
requirement.

Saeed, linked to 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, was set
free on Tuesday by the Lahore High Court, triggering an angry
response from India which accused Pakistan of not being
serious about fighting terror.

59-year-old Jamaat-ud-Dawah chief Saeed, who has been
under house arrest since December 11, was ordered to be
released by the High Court which held his detention as
illegal.

A close aide of Saeed, Col (retd) Nazir Mohammad, also
held in connection with the November 26 attacks in Mumbai, was
freed alongwith the JuD chief by the High Court.

According to the judgment, Pakistan's Attorney General
and Advocate General made verbal request for in camera
proceedings as they wanted to produce some "secret" material
to be in possession of the government against the petitioners.

"The said documents are mostly reports of intelligence
agencies. The first report is dated 6-4-2009 and the document
shows that in order to cover up lacuna the report has been
obtained after four months of the detention of the petitioners
and it is found incorrect as nothing happened which was
apprehended in the report," the court said.

According to the judgment, "the second report is dated
21.4.2009". "If this report is correct, why any action was not
taken against the responsible persons and even otherwise this
report was prepared during the period when the petitioners had
already been detained, who can not be held responsible for any
apprehension about any action on the part of the JuD," it
said.

The court further observed that review board has no
judicial status and its decision was only an opinion because
retired judges can be appointed its members. Record exhibited
was made in May 2009 while they were detained in December
2008, the bench held.

The court finally held that the detainees cannot be
detained on the grounds of material and record produced in the
court. PTI MZ
AM
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