PESHAWAR, April 11: A two-member bench of the Peshawar High Court  on Wednesday sought comments from the federal government and the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) in a writ petition challenging the involvement  of the secret agencies in civil disputes.

The bench, comprising Justice Nasirul Mulk and Justice Tallat Qayyum Qureshi, ordered that the comments should be filed within a fortnight.

The petition was filed by a high court lawyer, Mohammad Khursheed, claiming that the ISI had been interfering in a civil dispute between him and his landlord. The respondents are the federation, home and tribal affairs division, Brig Tariq, a former ISI official Brig Khalid, ISI official Col Sheeraz and Mohammad Ishaq.

The petitioner stated that he had been living in a rented house at National Bank Colony. He stated that owner of the house had sold the premises to Mohammad Ishaq. After purchasing the house, Ishaq asked him to vacate the premises,he said.

He claimed that he filed a civil suit on the ground that as he was the tenant and it was his right to purchase the residence.

While the suit was pending, he alleged, he was asked to visit the ISI office, where the officials asked him to withdraw his suit and vacate the residence.

He claimed that he was pressurised to settle the dispute. He claimed that Brig Tariq was Ishaq’s relative and through him Brig Khalid, who was at that time serving in the ISI, was approached. He prayed the court to declare the act of the army officers illegal.