3:21 AM
LAHORE: The administration of Muzaffargarh district has issued orders to ban the entry of former Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) leader Malik Muhammad Ishaq for a period of three months in order to maintain peace and avoid any untoward incident, FTNews has learnt. The action has been taken under Section 5 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance 1960.
The orders were issued by District Coordination Officer (DCO) Tahir Khursheed on a letter sent by District Police Officer (DPO) Rao Munir Zia on January 31. Source in the DCO and DPO offices confirmed these facts while talking to FTNews.
Ishaq, accused in 44 cases involving 70 killings, has been acquitted in 34 cases and granted bail in 10. He was released from Kot Lakhpat on January 21 after a Lahore High Court (LHC) review board denied an extension to his detention.
Sources said that the Special and Security branches in their reports had said Ishaq’s entry in the district may cause disruption of peace and cause sectarian tensions. Both departments had suggested banning Ishaq’s entry into the district’s jurisdiction for a period of three months.
The former leader of LeJ had recently made an appearance at the Difa-e-Pakistan conference on the special invitation from the Ahle Sunnat wal Jamaat (ASWJ) leadership.
MPO ordinance
According to the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance 1960, the Home Department can detain a person for three months if they could create a law and order situation if released. According to Section 5 of the ordinance, no person can be detained for a period exceeding three months unless a judicial board has reviewed the case and concluded that there is sufficient cause for such detention to continue.
Posted in: NATIONAL
