The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday issued notice to the Attorney General of Pakistan with the direction to file statement in response to the questions raised in the application of Mrs Hendrina Khan, spouse of nuclear scientist Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan.
Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Aslam gave these directives while taking up the application of Hendrina Khan saying that her husband is in 'illegal detention' and that the government had made an incorrect statement in the court. The hearing was adjourned till July 15.
The court also fixed July 15 for the hearing of a habeas corpus case filed by advocate M Javed Iqbal Jafferi under Article 199 regarding Dr Qadeer's illegal detention. The application said that the Deputy Attorney-General Raja Abdur Rehman through his incorrect statement saying that 'Dr Qadeer is not under detention and is free to move' had hurt the sentiments of the entire family as her husband had been in solitary confinement for four and a half years.
She said that nobody is allowed freely to meet the nuclear scientist which is against the spirit of justice. The security arrangements at her house are merely a drama to befool the nation, she added.
Mrs Hendrina Khan said even the bedroom was not safe as surveillance equipments had been installed there. She said that her husband is innocent and has not committed any offence. The Chief Justice, during the hearing, observed that the statement made by the counsel regarding the meeting of the DAG with the Chief Justice in Chambers was baseless as the DAG during the meeting had only informed him that he needed some time to file reply in the case.
"The lawyer of your stature should not make such type of baseless statements", the Chief Justice observed. Meanwhile, the IHC dismissed a petition of Ashfaq Muhammad Chaudhry against recent price hike of natural gas and compressed natural gas (CNG), saying that a similar matter is already pending in the Supreme Court.
Therefore, the court has no jurisdiction to hold a similar proceedings. The petitioner had sought the court's directive to the government for immediate withdrawal of recent increase in the natural gas and CNG prices. The petitioner made the petroleum and food ministries, Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) respondents in the case.