Review board rejects govt’s plea to extend Saad Rizvi's detention

LAHORE: A provincial review board on Friday turned down a request of the Punjab home department to extend the detention of Saad Rizvi, leader of proscribed Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).

Reports said the police produced Rizvi before a three-member board comprising honourable judges of the Lahore High Court amid strict security arrangements. During an in-camera proceeding, an official of the home department presented records of the cases against Rizvi and requested the board to extend his detention for another 30 days. Advocate Burhan Moazzam Malik represented Rizvi and opposed the government’s request.

After going through the records, the board dismissed the government’s plea to extend the detention of TLP leader, which would be ended on July 10. The deputy commissioner of Lahore had issued Rizvi’s detention order on April 12, 2021 under Section-3 of the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance 1960 on the recommendation of a district intelligence committee. The committee had also stated that the presence of Rizvi at any public place could pose a grave threat to the public safety and his activities may cause law and order situation.