November 21, 2008	Friday	Ziqa'ad 22, 1429

ISLAMABAD, Nov 20: Nuclear scientist Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan filed another habeas corpus petition in the Islamabad High Court on Thursday, seeking lifting of what he called ‘restrictions’ imposed on him.

In the plea filed through Advocate S.M. Zafar, Dr Khan requested the court to direct the authorities concerned to ease restrictions imposed on him in the name of security.

“This if for the first time that a petition against my detention has been directly filed by me,” the nuclear scientist told Dawn on telephone.

He said some petitions had already been filed for my release by people in their capacity as citizens of Pakistan.

The Supreme Court had earlier decided that only Dr Khan himself or his blood relatives could file pleas if they had any grievances.

Dr Khan said he had agreed with the apex court decision and, therefore, his lawyer S.M. Zafar, who is also a senator, had filed the plea on his behalf.

Asked if he was hopeful of getting any relief from the court, he said: “I am still hopeful because disappointment is kufr (unbelief).”

On July 21, a single bench of Chief Justice Sardar Mohammad Aslam of the IHC had decided on a writ petition over the matter. The same bench had also dismissed two other identical writ petitions on Oct 31 and Nov 18 after the high court had ruled that a verdict of the Supreme Court on the matter was binding on it.

During the last hearing on a petition filed by lawyer Iqbal Jaffery, the court was informed that Dr Khan’s sister and wife could not approach the court because of security reasons. He argued that it was a responsibility of the state to make arrangements for Dr Khan’s security, but it should allow people to meet him nevertheless.

The court had said that as Dr Khan was a national asset, “it is our responsibility to provide him foolproof security”.

Deputy Attorney General Raja Abdur Rehman had said Dr Khan had not been detained and was being provided all facilities.

The nuclear scientist was put under house-arrest in 2004. He has reportedly been suffering from heart ailment, high blood pressure, hypertension and now prostate cancer.