A Pakistani court has sought an explanation from the Jamaat-ud-Dawah and government officials after a businessman complained he had been summoned by a JuD Shariah court to settle a property dispute.
Property developer Khalid Saeed, a resident of Lahore, told the Lahore high court he had received a summons on the letterhead of the Darul Qaza Al-Sharia Jamaat-ud-Dawah, Masjid Al-Qadsia, Chauburji, Lahore with a direction to appear before its arbitration court of Shariah.
Saeed said he had approached the high court to seek action against the Qazi or judge of the JuD court for running a parallel judicial system.
In his petition, Saeed said the summons was issued after another person with whom he had a monetary and property dispute approached the JuD court. Saeed said the JuD warned him no excuse would be considered if he failed to appear and that action would be taken against in accordance with Shariah or Islamic law.
He alleged he had also received threatening telephone calls from the JuD courts Qazi, asking him to appear.
Saeed named the interior secretary, federal law minister, Punjab chief secretary, Punjab police chief, Lahore city police chief and Qazi Hafiz Idrees of JuD as parties in his petition.
Saeed said he had received no response to applications he had earlier submitted to government functionaries and the Chief Justice of Pakistan against the illegal summons.
He asked the court to order the authorities to look into the matter and take action against the JuD for committing illegal acts and for subverting the Constitution by establishing a parallel judicial system.
Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan asked the respondents to appear on April 26.
Reports have said the JuD, named by the US and UN as a front for the Lashkar-e-Taiba, has set up courts in several Pakistani cities. The court in Lahore has settled more than 5,000 cases. JuD chief Hafiz Saeed, accused by India of masterminding the 2008 Mumbai attacks, choses the judges for the Shariah courts.
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