December 09, 2007	Sunday	Ziqa'ad 28, 1428

LAHORE, Dec 8: Police detained two judges in their houses for a day on Saturday apparently to keep them away from the lawyers’ convention. Justice Khwaja Muhammad Sharif and Justice Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry told Dawn that deployment was meant to stop them from attending the convention. They said the police did not produce anything in writing regarding the deployment.

The force was withdrawn in the evening when the convention was over. This was their second house arrest since the Nov 3 emergency imposition.

“I was taking a bath at around 8am when my wife informed me that police vehicles had arrived outside our house,” Justice Khwaja Sharif told Dawn by phone from his DHA residence.

Defence SHO Mustansir Khan reportedly told Justice Sharif that he had come to stop him from visiting Dr Basit, who had invited him to tea.

“I took it as if it was a joke. They had done it earlier as well, but I took it very lightly,” Justice Sharif said when asked how he felt. He said he spoke with Justice Iqbal Hameedur Rahman, who had also been detained.

“A police vehicle had been parked outside the main gate of my house,” Justice Sharif quoted Justice Rahman.

Speaking on phone from his GOR-I residence, Justice Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry said the Racecourse SHO had come to his house in the morning and told him the deployment was for his (judge’s) security.

The administration has been keeping under house arrest the judges (who did not take oath under PCO) of the Supreme Court and the Lahore High Court since Nov 3. The police force was gradually withdrawn from the residences of LHC judges, but the SC judges, including Justice Khalilur Rahman Ramday, were never allowed free movement. Since his detention on Nov 3, Justice Ramday was allowed to move out of his house twice to say Juma prayers. —Reporter