PESHAWAR, Aug 21: A juvenile court released on Thursday a boy on probation for

three years in a drug trafficking case.

The court, presided over by Additional District and Sessions Judge Tariq Yousafzai, observed that the drug traffickers had been misusing the Juvenile Justice System Ordinance, 2000, and implicating children for drug pushing as under the law children had to be treated leniently.

The court observed that the boy was sentenced to three-year imprisonment, but he should be handed over to his parents on probation for that period.

Mahmood Khan of Faqirabad area was arrested by the Railways Police on Dec 28, 2002, at the city railway station and had recovered 19 kg of charas from his possession.

He was 16 at the time of occurrence.

His counsel argued that when he was arrested the police had recovered platform ticket from his possession and not a train ticket.

He added that the recovery of platform ticket showed that he was not a passenger and the luggage did not belong to him rather he went there either to see somebody off or to receive a passenger.

The defence counsel argued that the constable, Aziz Muhammad, who allegedly conducted search of the defendant and recovered the seized consignment, was not examined as prosecution witness.

The lawyer said that the case produced before the court was also in conflict with the quantity allegedly recovered from the defendant.

He added that the defendant was a juvenile offender and had no previous record of involvement in any case.