LAHORE The Lahore High Court on Wednesday dismissed petitions filed by Khadija Shah and others to declare their detention illegal regarding the events of May 9.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Ali Baqar Najafi and Justice Amjad Rafique issued a 26-page written judgment on the petitions of Khadija Shah, Huma Saeed, Rizwan Zia and Zubair Malik.

The bench observed that the “law is taking its course, the detention of the petitioners cannot be declared illegal at this stage. The legal process cannot be bypassed.”

Whoever was involved in the events of May 9 have been identified. The unfortunate events revealed the intolerance and dangerous fanaticism of a charged mob. The events of May 9 also challenged the judicial system. Before this incident the public had not seen such vandalism in Jinnah House.

The LHC said that the anger of the people was directed at the civil and military leadership but what happened that day was inexplicable. However, the state had to defend itself.

Undoubtedly, the accused have legal rights which the courts protect.

The court stated that the best strategy for the petitioners at this time is to follow the procedure of law. Bypassing the procedure will not benefit the petitioners.