The Lahore High Court Chief Justice (CJ) on Tuesday adjourned the hearing of a petition filed by Jamatud Dawa chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed for March 14. The CJ asked the federal government to file its reply by the next date of hearing.
The hearing was adjourned because Additional Advocate General Azar Latif was busy before the Supreme Court.
At the previous hearing the CJ had directed Latif to file the reply on behalf of the federal government.
Saeed’s lawyer AK Dogar said protecting the lives and properties of the citizens of Pakistan was the responsibility of the government. If the state was involved in murdering its own citizens by joining hands with another country, it was the duty of the courts to hold the government accountable.
Citing Supreme Court’s judgment in Balochistan’s law and order case, the counsel argued that the court had declared that the provincial government had no right to rule.
In his petition, Saeed had sought directions to the federal government to make information in all matters of public importance public, especially the ‘secret deals’ made with the US.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 6th, 2013.