JuD chief's counsel A K Dogar contended that there was no evidence of Saeed's involvement and that his detention violated Pakistan's constitution and laws.

Striking a defiant note, Saeed vowed to continue his struggle against what he described as the "India occupation" of J and K.

Denying any involvement of JuD in the Mumbai attacks, Saeed told a press conference held at a mosque in his hometown that his detention was a "conspiracy" against Pakistan.

Dogar, who shouted slogans like 'Allah-o-Akbar' (God is great) along with Saeed's supporters after emerging from the court, said the JuD chief had been detained on December 11 last year without any valid grounds. During an earlier hearing of Saeed's petition, Pakistan had for the first time admitted that JuD had links with al-Qaeda.

The judges said the government "has no sufficient grounds to detain the petitioners for preventive measures". They added that the government could not rely on the UN Security Council resolution, which imposed restrictions on the JuD, to detain as two men as this was "not desired" by the resolution.

The bench quashed the "impugned detention orders" for Saeed and Ahmed and ordered that they should be "released forthwith if not required in any other case".

The government of Punjab province said it would appeal against the High Court's order in the Supreme Court. Provincial Home Secretary Nadeem Hasan Asif said the government was consulting legal experts about filing a review petition in the apex court.

Official sources said the appeal would be filed within the next few days.

... contd.