The Lahore High Court, Rawalpindi Bench, dismissed on Monday the habeas corpus petitions challenging the detention of six Khan Research Labratories officials and scientists. The relatives of six KRL officials had approached the court to declare their detention as illegal, and set them at liberty.
| "Youse can't jug them! They're important!" |
The government had taken the position that the officials were detained under the Security of Pakistan Act 1952 as they had been engaged in nuclear proliferation and were responsible for directly and indirectly passing on to foreign countries and individuals secret codes, nuclear materials, substances, machinery, equipment components, information, documents, sketches, plans, models, articles and notes entrusted to them in their official capacity. The government said it was satisfied that the detention of the six persons was necessary with a view to preventing them from carrying on such activities in a manner prejudicial to the security of Pakistan. The relatives of Dr Mohammad Farooq, director KRL; Dr Nazeer Ahmad, chief engineer metallurgy department KRL; Brig (retired) Sajawal Khan Malik, retired director-general KRL; Dr Naseemuddin, currently head of Missile Manufacturing KRL, Kahuta; Brig (retired) Mohammad Iqbal Tajwar, former director-general Security KRL, Kahuta, and Maj (retired) Islamul Haq, principal staff officer of Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan, had approached the court for their release. Advocate Ikram Chaudhry, who represented Mohammad Farooq, and Maj (retired) Islamul Haq, said he would challenge the LHC decision before the Supreme Court. He said the issue was of fundamental rights and he would challenge it before the Supreme Court, which, under the Constitution, was the guardian of citizen's fundamental rights.
| "Dat's right, y'r honor! My clients gotta right to sell national secrets to anybody dat wantsa buy 'em! Youse guys wanna buy some secrets?" |
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