PESHAWAR, Jan 14: While the suspected members of Al-Qaeda have been shifted from Kohat Prison, a division bench of the Peshawar High Court will take up for hearing on Tuesday (Jan 15) a writ petition challenging their detention there.

The petition is filed by a former MNA of PML (N) Jawed Ibraheem Paracha, who has given names of 57 persons stated to be detained in Kohat prison.

The court had earlier issued notice to the federal and provincial government. It is learnt the superintendent of district prison Kohat has informed the NWFP Advocate General’s office that the suspected Al-Qaeda members were no longer in Kohat prison. He has reportedly informed the office that the detainees had been shifted by the government a few days back to a location about which they were not aware.

An official in advocate general office claimed that as the detainees had been shifted from Kohat prison, therefore the advocate general would argue for dismissal of the petition as it had become infructous.