Islamabad: The Lahore High Court, which has ordered the release of founder of banned militant outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba Hafeez Saeed, has sought a report on the detention of Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar, one of the three militants freed by India to end the Kandahar hijacking of an Indian Airlines aircraft in 1999.

The Multan Bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on November 18 sought a report from the judicial magistrate in Dera Ghazi Khan on a petition filed by Azhar, who is lodged in central jail Bahawalpur under Maintenance of Prevention Order (MPO).

The court also ordered the police to submit details of the case registered against Azhar, official news agency APP reported.

The court had on November 18 ordered the release of Lashkar chief Hafeez Saeed, who had been under house arrest in the Eastern city of Lahore since October 31 after five months in custody.

Both Hafeez and Azhar have been named as prime suspects in the attack on Indian Parliament in December last year.

Azhar, in his petition said, he has been summoned by the judicial magistrate of Dera Ghazi Khan in connection with one of the cases against him and sought court's permission to hold the trial in Bahawalpur jail, where he was currently lodged.

The Lahore High Court also refused to extend detention of Khadim Hussain Dhiloon, former secretary general of another banned outfit Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP), which has been accused of being involved in sectarian killings in Pakistan. The court ordered his release on November 23 after expiry of his preventive detention.

PTI