LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday [June 18] held as void ... the Punjab Government`s notifications declaring the Free Masons to be an unlawful association and notifying the Free Masons Lodges as being used for unlawful purposes.

Accepting a writ instituted in this respect, Mr Justice Aftab Husain directed the Punjab Government to notify the cancellation of the two notifications. ... ...[I]n the first notification the Government had declared the Free Masons to be an unlawful association while under the second ... it was declared that the Free Masons Lodges ... were being used for ... unlawful association. ...

In the 40-page judgement, the Court dwelt ... [on] the legal questions raised during the writ petition hearing. ... ...[T]he Court observed: `I cannot refrain from showing that the `grounds` urged to justify the action were not sufficient to warrant the forming of opinion that the association held and propagated religious belief which were contrary to Islam. ...` His Lordship further observed: `The Free Masons do not admittedly propagate their beliefs. ... If certain beliefs are propagated in their circle, in secret meetings, I do not see how they constitute danger to public peace.` News agencies