The Pakistan government released Qazi Hussain Ahmed, the leader of the pro-Taliban Pakistani religious party, the Jamaat-e-Islami from three months detention, hours before his petition for release cameup for hearing in the Supreme Court and later re-arrested him in Lahore. Ahmed was on Monday released from prison on medical grounds as his petition contesting his detention three months for his pro-Taliban agitation came up for hearing in the apex court.
The advocate general of the Pakistan's North West Frontier Provincial government Qazi Rashidul Haq has informed the Supreme Court earlier Monday that Ahmed would be released on medical grounds.
Consequently, Ahmed has been released from the prison in Rawlpindi. But according to his party officials he was later detained when he flew to Lahore.
Ahmed was re-arrested by Pakistan's Punjab provincial police at the Lahore airport and later taken to a nearby terminal, which was reserved for the Haj pilgrims. He was reportedly kept in an isolated room. Nobody was allowed to meet him, Jamaat's deputy secretary information, S.A. Shamsi told reporters Monday night. Earlier, a three-member Supreme Court bench, which heads Ahmed's petition dismissed it saying that since the NWFP government had also withdrawn the detention orders assailed in the petition the petition was disposed off having borne fruits. The court was informed that he was being released on medical grounds.
Bureau Report