Expats protection: Non-submission of policy irks court

Our correspondent

LAHORE : The Lahore High Court on Wednesday expressed annoyance over the foreign ministry for not submitting before it a consular protection policy for overseas Pakistanis detained in jails abroad.

On the previous hearing of a petition moved by Justice Project Pakistan, which works for prisoners’ rights in and outside the country, Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah had directed the ministry to devise a policy and also present it before the court. However, during the Wednesday’s hearing a deputy attorney general sought more time to submit the required policy. He stated that the government had been taking measures to ensure legal aid to the Pakistani citizens detained in foreign countries. Irked with repeated requests for adjournments by the government’s counsel, the chief justice observed, "The government should show some seriousness in the matter as the people languishing in foreign jails are our own citizens." Justice Shah directed the law officer to submit the policy on the overseas Pakistani prisoners on next hearing without fail. The hearing was adjourned for two weeks.

Earlier, Barrister Sarah Belal of the JPP argued that the government had not been taking effective measures to protect its citizens detained abroad especially in Bagram jail. She said the families of the Pakistanis detained in foreign jails were unable to establish any contact with them nor they could render any legal assistance to them.

rights activist: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday issued a notice for Naseerabad station house officer (SHO) on a habeas corpus petition for the recovery of a missing rights activist, Raza Khan.

Hamid Nasir Mahmood filed the petition contending that his brother Khan was allegedly abducted by unidentified persons on December 2 from his Model Colony residence. He said Naseerabad police registered an abduction case against unknown suspects but failed to recover his brother or make any arrest. He requested the court to order the police to recover his brother and produce him before the court. Justice Muhammad Anwarul Haq heard the initial contention and directed the Naseerabad SHO to submit a report on Dec 19.