Former Pakistan CJ Bhagwandas' house arrest ends

Lahore, Jan 16 : Former Pakistan Supreme Court chief justice Rana Bhagwandas' detention ended late last evening when the Sindh Government removed the police contingents from around his residence.

The former judge, who was removed in November last, was put under house arrest under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) on Saturday after he issued a statement to the Karachi Bar Association saying that the sacked judges of the Apex Court would be reinstated soon, the Daily Times reported.

Earlier, on Saturday the ex-CJ's wife had said that he had been put under "house arrest", and that the Sindh Police had told him not to move out of his residence till further orders.

She said that Justice Bhagwandas reached his Bath Island residence at about 5.30 pm on Saturday when the police cordoned off his home and asked him not to leave.

However, the police had said that the judge was not put under house arrest, but his movements had been "restricted" in view of the prevailing terror environment in the country.

"He has been advised to restrict his movement in view of the terror environment prevailing in the city," the Dawn quoted Sindh police chief Azhar Ali Farooqi as saying.

The step had been taken as part of security measures to protect the judge's life, Farooqi said and added: "We have also enhanced security in the neighbourhood."

ANI