Contempt of court plea over Dr Khan's detention against Pak Prez, others dismissed

Islamabad, July 30 : The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has reportedly dismissed a contempt petition filed by the lawyer of wife of Pakistani nuclear scientist Dr AQ Khan against President Pervez Musharraf and others for flouting the court order delivered in a habeas corpus petition (of Dr Khan).

After hearing arguments of the petitioner's counsel, IHC Chief Justice Muhammad Aslam yesterday dismissed the petition by saying that the petitioner had "no locus standi to file a petition".

On behalf of Dr Khan's wife, Muhammad Iftikhar Hussain had filed the contempt of court petition in the IHC against 11 persons for not implementing the court order delivered in Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan's alleged illegal detention.

Besides Musharraf, the country's Information Minister Sherry Rahman, Interior Secretary Kamal Shah, Attorney General Malik Qayyum, Deputy Attorney General Raja Abdur Rehman, Ahmer Bilal Sufi advocate and others were made the respondents in the contempt petition. The IHC registrar returned the petition by saying that a contempt petition could not be moved against the President.

Later, the petitioner filed an application through his counsel Barrister M Javed Iqbal Jafferi before the chief justice of the IHC. The counsel for the petitioner while arguing in the court against the objections of the registrar said that there should be same law for every one in the country and the President has no indemnity according to the Islamic law.

Mohammad Iftikhar Hussain, president of the Human Rights Group, tried to meet Dr AQ Khan but the authorities denied his meeting with the nuclear scientist on the grounds that he was not a friend or close relative of Dr Khan.

The court while announcing a verdict on the habeas corpus petition had ruled that Dr Khan will not convey, transmit or relay any comments or give interview to any channel, news reporter, print or electronic media in any manner, whatsoever in respect of the issue of proliferation.

ANI