Ammad Yousaf being kept in illegal custody, lawyer tells court

KARACHI: The lawyer of Ammad Yousaf, appeared before the court in the case of his arrest without a warrant from his residence in DHA, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

Naeem Qureshi advocate, told the court that the police has arrested his client and Head of News of ARY News from his residence last night. “His production before the court being deferred with delaying tactics,” the counsel said.

“My client being kept in illegal custody, the police has yet to submit the FIR in the court,” he said.

“The court will question the police if it is exercising delaying tactics,” the Judge said. “You are Judicial Magistrate, you are empowered to bound the police,” Naeem Qureshi said. “We will see, why the police fail to submit the FIR,” the magistrate said before a break in the hearing.

Earlier, legal experts and prominent lawyers termed the way Ammad Yousaf was arrested as unlawful.

Police officers along with plain-clothed persons had forcibly entered the house of Ammad Yousaf. The raiding team diverted the CCTV cameras of Yousaf’s house, and jumped into the house from the top of the main entrance.

Prominent lawyer Ali Zafar has said that the arrest warrant from magistrate is must before arrest of a person. The persons used to be issued notice before the arrest warrant. An arrest without warrant is a major crime, he said.

“These actions were used to be taken in dictatorships and are illegal in presence of the constitution and a democratic set up. “The Supreme Court could take suo moto notice of such incidents,” Ali Zafar said.

Faisal Chaudhry Advocate said that the government has violated the constitution and the law. The arrest is regretful and this action of the government can be challenged. “Such state actions unleash fascism, it is not an arrest it is abduction,” the lawyer said.

Azhar Siddique termed the arrest blatant terrorism and hoped that the chief justice will take suomoto notice of the arrest.

Legal expert Safdar Shaheen said that the officials have to show warrants before arrest, the police is not authorized to enter in a house without permission. An arrest sans warrant is kidnapping, ” we will challenge the arrest in the court of law.