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Pakistan government issued notice on scientists' detention

The Lahore high court on Wednesday issued notices to the Pakistan government to respond to allegations that it had illegally detained two retired nuclear scientists.

The court issued the notices after hearing the habeas corpus petitions filed by the relatives of two scientists -- Sultan Bashiruddin Mehmood and Abdul Majeed.

Defence Lawyers presented to the court the contributions that the two scientists had made towards the development of the country's nuclear programme.

They also the submitted copies of a letter written by the commerce ministry to Ummah Tamir-e-Nau, a non-governmental organisation floated by the scientists to render humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan.

Referring to recent statements made by President Pervez Musharraf and a government spokesman, the defence lawyers said both had denied that there was any evidence that the scientists had helped Osama bin Laden develop nuclear weapons.

Musharraf, in an interview on state television two days ago, had said that the two had been detained to investigate their links across the borders. "But it is quite clear that they have no relations with the institutions, which were involved in the nuclear programme," he said.

On Wednesday, defence spokesman Major General Rashid Qureshi denied reports that the two were being investigated for their alleged involvement with Laden's programme to develop weapons of mass destruction.

One of the defence lawyers, M D Tahir, said that it was for the first time in the history of the country that a habeas corpus petition, filed 24 days back, took that long to come up for hearing.

PTI

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