LHC serves notice on IGP over Javed Latif’s arrest

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday issued a notice to the inspector general of police on a habeas corpus petition challenging the arrest of MNA Javed Latif by the CIA.

The counsel for the petitioner, the brother of Latif, argued that an FIR was registered against the MNA in the Township Police Station. However, CIA authorities arrested him. He said the arrest of the MNA is unlawful and amounted to illegal detention. He asked the court to get Latif recovered from the alleged illegal detention of the CIA. After hearing initial arguments of the counsel, Justice Anwarul Haq Pannun issued a notice to the IGP and sought a reply by Thursday (today).

The other day, the CIA had arrested Latif on his way back to his constituency Sheikhupura near Phool Mandi (flower market). The Township Police registered the FIR on the complaint of a citizen, Jameel Saleem, under Sections 120/120B, 153/153A, 500, 505(i)(B) and 506 of the Pakistan Penal Code. The sections deal with the offences of causing incitement against the state institutions including the army and promoting enmity between different groups. In a television programme, he had said his party would not say “Pakistan Khappay” (long live Pakistan) if anything happened to PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz.