The Lahore High Court (LHC) has directed the secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) to process and decide within 15 days representations concerning the detention of two Pakistani citizens and PTI-affiliated individuals in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Justice Sadiq Mahmud Khurram issued the directions in written orders on Sept 14 on two separate petitions filed by the families of Syed Salman Raza Zaidi and Muhammad Junaid Jahangir through Barrister Abuzar Salman Niazi.

According to the petitions, Zaidi went missing from his residence in Sharjah on Sept 27, 2024, and was subsequently taken into custody by UAE authorities.

His wife, Faryal Zainab, told the court that despite nearly two years having passed, she had not been provided with clear information about the charges against her husband, the judicial proceedings, any sentence imposed on him or the complete court record.

In the second petition, Muhammad Ibrahim, Jahangir’s father, said his son was allegedly detained at Dubai airport on Sept 24, 2024, upon his return from Saudi Arabia.

The petitions challenged the alleged failure of the federal government and the Foreign Office to provide effective consular protection and legal assistance to the two men.

Barrister Niazi told the court that representations regarding the detention of both citizens had been submitted to the foreign secretary but had not been processed.

The petitioners sought legal and consular assistance for the two men, access to their judicial records and diplomatic steps for their return to Pakistan. They also sought a report on the steps taken by the state in the matter.

After examining the petitions and the documents attached to them, Justice Khurram directed the foreign secretary to process the representations concerning the detention of Zaidi and Jahangir in the UAE, if they were still pending, in accordance with the law and expeditiously.

The court directed that the representations be decided preferably within 15 days of receipt of a certified copy of its orders.

The judge disposed of both petitions with these directions.