Govt to conditionally release detained lawyer, SC told.

Byline: Nasir Iqbal

ISLAMABAD -- The federal government informed the Supreme Court on Wednesday that it had decided to release detained lawyer retired colonel Inam-ul-Rahiem provided certain conditions were met.

Attorney General Anwar Mansoor told a three-judge SC bench that the government wanted to release Col Inam in view of his health condition.

The bench headed by Justice Mushir Alam and comprising Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel and Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah had taken up a government appeal against the Jan 9 short order in which the Lahore High Court's Rawalpindi bench, while hearing a habeas corpus petition of Husnain Inam, son of Col Inam, had declared the detention of the lawyer unlawful.

Col Inam was picked up by the military authorities from his house in Rawalpindi on Dec 17, 2019, and since then he has not been produced before any court.

Col Inam is required to provide password of his laptop, deposit passport with SC registrar and cooperate in investigation

At the last hearing on Jan 14, the apex court had suspended the high court's order declaring the detention of Advocate Inam as illegal.

On Wednesday, AG Mansoor explained before the apex court that Col Inam had to be taken to hospital due to his health condition and as a result the investigation against him was suffering.

A two-page order issued by the Supreme Court stated that the AG had on instructions said that since the detained lawyer was not keeping good health, so on this ground, it has been decided that he be released but subject to deposit of his passport.

Accordingly, the detained lawyer will be released after depositing his passport with the additional registrar (judicial) of the Supreme Court and that he will associate and continue to cooperate in the inquiry and investigation.

Col Inam is also be required to attend the office of investigators as and when required, but before his release he will be taken to the medical superintended of Benazir Bhutto Hospital, Rawalpindi, who will ensure that the detailed lawyer is examined by a board of doctors of the hospital, the SC order said.

It said the medical report will also be placed before the Supreme Court on the next date of hearing which will be fixed after two weeks for further proceedings.

Soon after the hearing, advocates Sheikh Ehsanuddin and Taufiq Asif, who were pursuing the case of Col Inam, said the lawyer's family had deposited his passport with the court registrar.

During the hearing, AG Mansoor also...