Lahore, Apr. 5 : Challenging their detention, Jamat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed and his three associates have filed a petition in the Lahore High Court.

Saeed, Colonel (r) Nazeer Ahmad, Abdul Rehman and Ameer Hamza filed the petition under Article 199(1bi) of the constitution, the Daily Times reports.

The leaders of the banned organization have asked the court to determine if they were being held in custody in accordance with the law, their counsel AK Dogar said.

Dogar claimed that the detention of his clients, which was ordered by the Home Department on January 9 and again on March 9, was without lawful authority and of no legal effect.

In the petition, Dogar submitted that Hafiz Saeed had been earlier arrested during the Musharraf regime, but was released by the orders of the LHC.

There was no on the record allegation against the petitioner or his organization, he added.

Furthermore, the counsel noted that the LHC had also observed that Dawa had never been involved in any terrorist activities in Pakistan, and no FIR had ever been registered against Dawa or any of its detained members.

"Dawa was an independent organization with no links with Lashkar-e-Tayyaba," he stated.

Dogar requested the court to issue a habeas corpus direction, which would require the respondents to present the petitioners before the LHC. (ANI)