Govt plea for extension in Saad Rizvi's detention rejected by review board

LAHORE: A government plea for extension in detention of the chief of the outlawed Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), Hafiz Saad Hussain Rizvi, was dismissed by a provincial review board on Friday.

The three-member board comprised of Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan, Justice Aalia Neelum and Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan.

Hafiz Saad Rizvi was produced before the board at the Lahore High Court (LHC) on expiry of his 90-day detention period.

The government officials assisted the board during in-camera proceedings and requested for an extension in the detention of the TLP chief.

The board also dismissed an application for extension in detention of Rizvi's party activists, Usman and Wazir Ali.

A large number of police personnel were deployed at the LHC and surrounding areas during the board proceedings.

Following the hearing, Rizvi's counsel Burhan Moazzam said that there are still a few days remaining in the review process. He said that a decision to file applications for bail in other cases will be made at a later stage.

Saad Rizvi was arrested in April.

The federal government that month declared the TLP a proscribed organisation under anti-terrorism laws and launched a broad crackdown against the party.

The action came after days of violent protests and traffic disruptions in the major cities of Pakistan, which saw public and private property damaged by gangs of hooligans bearing sticks and turning on law enforcement officials at will.