KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Monday directed the home secretary to appear in court on Wednesday (tomorrow) and inform it whether the detention of around 15 workers of the Altaf Hussain-led Muttahida Qaumi Movement, commonly known as MQM-London, under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance was backed by any decision of the cabinet.

A two-judge bench, headed by Justice Adnan Iqbal Chaudhry, also ordered the inspector general of Sindh police to file specific details about each detainee`s place of detention.

Petitioners through their lawyers moved the SHC against detention orders, issued by the home department on July 12 under the MPO, of their relatives Danish Sheikh, Mohammad Faheem, Wajid Ali, Kashif Qureshi, Mohammad Hamza, Talha,Mohammad Afsar, Mohammad Akhtar, Mohammad Amir alias Sonara, Mukhtar, Mohammad Arif and others.

At the outset of hearing on Monday, the bench expressed displeasure over home department and IG office as nobody was in attendance to assist the court despite being put them on notice.

The counsel for the petitioners argued that the home department had placed the detainees under 30-day detention on the recommendation of IG Sindh.

The bench in its order said that it confronted the advocate general Sindh with a judgement of apex court which laid down the test for issuing a detention under the MPO.

However, the provincial law officer submitted that he was not informed about the material that was placed before the government for its satisfaction in terms of Section 3(1) of the MPO. The IG sought more time to file comments.

Subsequently, the bench summoned thehome secretary for July 26 and said that he along with IG Sindh must inform the court whether the impugned detention orders were backed by the decision of the provincial cabinet in terms of a judgement of Supreme Court in the case of Mustafa Impex versus the state reported in 2016.

It also directed the IG to specifically mention in his comments the details where the detainees had presently been kept.

Impleading the chief secretary, home secretary, inspector general of police and others as respondents, the petitioners submitted that their relatives were arrested on July 9 for allegedly taking part in a rally in support of MQM-founder Hussain in Korangi and a day later, a judicial magistrate had granted them bail, but the authorities did not set them free.

Subsequently, the lawyers contended that the detainees, along with around 25 others, had been placed under 30-day detention at the central prison under the MPO.