It isn’t a crime in Pakistan to wage jihad. But the Pakistani court, perhaps mindful of all those American billions (not that anything could really jeopardize them), punted. “Pak court rejects asylum petition for 5 American Muslims,” from the Press Trust of India, December 24 (thanks to James):
LAHORE: A Pakistani court today dismissed a petition seeking asylum in the name of ‘holy war’ for five American Muslim youths recently arrested in the country for allegedly planning terror attacks, saying that it was not the duty of the judiciary to define ‘jihad’.
The Lahore High Court dismissed the petition filed by Khalid Khwaja, a former Inter-Services Intelligence official now associated with a rights organisation.
In his petition, Khwaja had contended that the youths came to Pakistan for ‘jihad’ (holy war) and since this was not a crime, their detention is illegal.
Lahore High Court Chief Justice Khwaja Mohammad Sharif, who heard the petition, observed that it was not the duty of the court to define ‘jihad’. The judge did not comment further and dismissed the petition.
Khwaja also asked the court to direct authorities to grant the youths asylum in Pakistan as the US administration might “not spare them”….