Govt extends Hafiz Saeed's house arrest for two more months

LAHORE - The Punjab Government has extended the house arrest of Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) head Hafiz Mohammad Saeed for 60 more days (two months), Dawn News reported.

The government issued the notification on Monday for Saeed, who had been put under house arrest on January 31 for 90 days but it was extended for a further three months.

The house arrest ended on July 27 and now it has again been extended by the government for 60 more days.

According to the notification, the Counter Terrorism Department has reported that "keeping in view the expected release of the said activist and other leaders of the said organisation, workers of the organisation have planned to spread chaos in the country."

It added, "on release, he (Saeed) is likely to glorify his activities for the said organisation and continuation of his activities are likely to create unrest in public."

In January, the security forces also took other members of the organisation, including Abdullah Ubaid, Abdul Rehman Abid, Zafar Iqbal and Qazi Kashif Niazi of Multan into 'protective custody'.

The JuD and its affiliated charity wing, Falah-i-Insaaniat Founda­tion (FIF) had been put on Second Schedule and on the government’s watch list for six months under Section (1) 11EEE of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 in January.