Court verdict in AQ case on Monday

ISLAMABAD - Chief Justice Islamabad High Court (IHC), Justice Sardar Muhammad Aslam on Wednesday reserved his judgment on a couple of constitutional petitions challenging the detention of country's top nuclear scientist, Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan and said that the court would announce a detailed judgment on Monday (July 21).

IHC is seized with the matter after being moved through separate petitions of habeas corpus against state authorities for continuously keeping Dr Khan under house arrest in miserable condition despite serious illness.

These petitions have been filed by Barrister Iqbal Jaffery, a friend of Dr Khan and Mrs Honey Khan, the Dutch born wife of detenue, who both are seeking liberty of Pakistan's top nuclear scientist and demanding an end to curbs on his freedom.  

President Pervez Musharraf, Prime Minister's Advisor on Interior, Rehman Malik and Federation of Pakistan have been made respondents in these petitions filed under Article 199 of the Constitution.   

Before reserving the verdict, Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Aslam heard Dr Khan's lawyer, Barrister Iqbal Jaffery, Deputy Attorney General (DAG) Raja Abdul Rehman and Ahmer Bilal Sufi, the counsel for Federation, in his chamber.

The closed-door proceedings were held in continuance of a meeting between the lawyers from both sides who met yesterday after being directed by the court to sit together and find an amicable solution to resolve the issue.

After hearing the lawyers from the petitioners' side as well as those who were representing the government, Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Aslam reserved his verdict on the issue till July 21. IHC is also likely to dispose a related petition on the same date that is seeking initiation of contempt proceedings against DAG for allegedly misleading the court on the issue of Dr Khan's petition.   

Meanwhile, Dr A Q Khan has also written a letter to Chief Justice of IHC, complaining that the media often misquoted him on proliferation issues and denied that he was harming the country's interests.

"I beg to submit that the media has misquoted me on several occasions and my rebuttals/disclaimers were not published," father of country's nuclear programme has regretted in his letter.

"As I am confined to my house/subjail and have no direct interactional control or power to influence the media, the charade goes on," Dr A Q Khan also wrote in his letter.

"I cannot ever imagine making a statement detrimental to the interests of my beloved country for which I and my family made so much sacrifice," Dr Khan also stated in his letter, coming down hard on elements who were disseminating disinformation as well as malicious propaganda against him.

The chief justice said that the court would announce a detailed judgment on Monday (July 21).