LHC Rejects Report on PTI Workers Detained in the UAE
The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday termed a report submitted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs about PTI workers detained in the UAE unsatisfactory and summoned the responsible officer to appear in person at the next hearing.
Justice Tariq Mahmood Bajwa heard two contempt pleas over the alleged failure to carry out the court’s earlier order on the two men, who have been in custody in the UAE for more than two years.
Foreign Office says it awaits reply from UAE
The ministry submitted its reply through the attorney general’s office. It said the matter had been referred to the Pakistani mission in the UAE immediately after the court gave its directions.
The reply, signed by Additional Secretary (Middle East) Zahid Hussain, said the mission had been told to pursue the matter with the UAE authorities and report back expeditiously. The ministry said the response from the UAE authorities had not yet been received.
The court did not accept that explanation. Justice Bajwa termed the ministry’s reply unsatisfactory and summoned the officer responsible to appear in person at the next hearing.
Counsel says basic questions remain unanswered
Barrister Abuzar Salman Niazi, who appeared for the petitioners, argued that the Foreign Office had failed to answer the most basic questions about the two citizens’ detention, despite repeated directions from the court.
He said the reply did not show what concrete steps the mission had taken to secure consular and diplomatic access, and alleged the men remained deprived of consular, diplomatic and legal access.
PTI workers detained in the UAE since September 2024
According to the first writ petition, Zaidi went missing from his residence in Sharjah on September 27, 2024, and was later taken into custody by UAE authorities. His wife, Faryal Zainab, told the court that nearly two years had passed without clear information about the charges, the proceedings, any sentence, or the court record.
The second petition said Jahangir was detained on September 24, 2024, at Dubai airport on his return from Saudi Arabia. His father, Muhammad Ibrahim, filed the petition over the alleged failure to provide effective consular protection and legal assistance.
Both families sought legal and consular assistance, access to judicial records, and diplomatic steps for the men’s return.
Why the court is pressing the ministry
The case turns on a simple question: what has the state done for two of its citizens held abroad for over two years? The petitioners’ counsel has argued that leaving Pakistani citizens in foreign custody without information deprives them of due process under Article 10A of the Constitution, which guarantees a fair trial and due process. The state, he said, cannot legally abandon its citizens.
The court’s September 14 order had directed the foreign secretary to decide the families’ representations within 15 days. When that order was not carried out, the families filed contempt pleas, and on October 22 the court issued notices to the foreign secretary. Feature Pakistan reported the contempt notices when the court issued them.
Thursday’s hearing was the next step in that chain, but the reply showed only that the case had been referred to the mission, not what it had achieved. That gap is what the court described as unsatisfactory. The Foreign Office must now produce the responsible officer before the court and explain the steps taken so far.
The case sits within a wider set of detention matters before the courts, including the Federal Constitutional Court’s restraint on the Peshawar High Court hearing detention cases under the Maintenance of Public Order law, the Lahore High Court’s dismissal of Pakistan Ordnance Factories’ compensation appeals, and the Federal Constitutional Court’s dismissal of the JUI-F appeal over a reserved seat. Dawn reported the Lahore High Court hearing on Thursday.
Frequently asked questions
Who are the two PTI workers detained in the UAE?
Syed Salman Raza Zaidi and Muhammad Junaid Jahangir, both described as PTI-affiliated Pakistani citizens. Zaidi went missing from his Sharjah residence on September 27, 2024, while Jahangir was detained at Dubai airport on September 24, 2024.
What did the Lahore High Court order on Thursday?
The court termed the Foreign Office report unsatisfactory and summoned the officer responsible to appear in person at the next hearing.
What did the Foreign Office say in its reply?
The ministry said it had referred the matter to the mission, which was pursuing it with the UAE authorities.
What did the court order on September 14?
The court directed the foreign secretary to process and decide within 15 days the families’ representations about the two detentions.
What happens next in the case?
The responsible Foreign Office officer must appear before the court at the next hearing and explain the steps taken to secure consular access and information about the two men.
