LAHORE - The federal government on Monday told the Lahore High Court that Rs180 million were paid to three American lawyers to defend Dr Afia Siddiqui prior to courts restraining order in this regard. Deputy Attorney General Naveed Inayat Malik informed the court that Rs50 million had been paid to each of the three attorneys while Rs 30 million have been allocated for administration purposes. He pointed out the amount was released to certain lawyers on the recommendation of Aafias brother who resides in America. After hearing his arguments, the court directed the federal government to submit details of the payment and reveal the names of lawyers by August 31. On previous hearing, the court had issued contempt of court notices to ministries of interior and foreign affairs for releasing $2million to three American lawyers for defending Dr Aafia Siddiqui in the US courts in violation of LHCs order. The contempt petition was filed by Barrister Iqbal Jafrree submitting the LHC on August 12 had restrained the federal government from releasing the said money to the American lawyers for pleading the case of Dr Aafia Siddiqui. The counsel said the government in sheer violation of courts orders released the hefty amount to the panel of three American lawyers. He requested the court to initiate proceedings against the ministries of interior and foreign affairs under contempt of court charges. The court issued notices to respondents for August 24 and directed the deputy attorney general to manage replies from respondents. The counsel had challenged the allocation of $2million (Rs.170million) by the government for fighting case of Afia through three lawyers in America and feared that the hard earned money of the nation would go to the pockets of some people and the needful would remain unachievable. He said that the government laid aside such hefty amount for fighting the case while it did not bother to write to the ICJ spending a small amount to take up the matter. He prayed to the court for restraining the spending of the said amount on fighting and moving the ICJ.