Before the order was issued, JuD chief's counsel Dogar, while arguing the case, claimed that it was not binding under the Pakistani laws to implement resolutions of the UN Security Council which has banned the outfit. The Deputy Attorney General of the federal government and the Advocate General of Punjab province rebutted Dogar's arguments.

The Advocate General said it was binding on Pakistan to implement Security Council resolutions as the country was a signatory to the UN Charter. After hearing both sides, the bench issued the brief order for the release of Saeed and Ahmed. A detailed order is expected to be issued later. JuD activists, who gathered at the court, began shouting slogans in support of Saeed on hearing the bench's verdict. A JuD spokesman hailed the court's verdict and said the organisation will continue its relief activities.

The court's order was a "certificate" that JuD was not involved in terrorism and government had been unable to prove Saeed's involvement in such activities, the spokesman said. Experts said the government can appeal the High Court's order in the Supreme Court.

After the court verdict, an official of the Prison Department said that "we will withdraw our personnel (from JuD chief's house in Johar Town of Lahore) after receiving the order for Saeed's release." Saeed's house was declared a sub-jail during his detention. "We will provide security to Saeed if we are asked by our high-ups," SSP (Operations) Shafiq Ahmed said.

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 or reasons. Saeed's house arrest was subsequently extended for "some vague" reasons, he claimed. He questioned why the Pakistan government had implemented the UN Security Council's resolution against the JuD when India had not acted on resolutions on the Kashmir issue. During an earlier hearing of Saeed's petition, Pakistan had for the first time admitted that JuD had links with al-Qaeda.