PESHAWAR, Nov 24: A customs appellate bench of the Peshawar High Court on Monday upheld the conviction of a person charged with smuggling explosive material.

The bench comprising Mr Justice Nasirul Mulk dismissed the appeal of Sajjad Khan, an oil tanker driver, and upheld the sentence of three-year rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs50,000, awarded to him by a special judge customs and anti- smuggling.

The court, however, accepted the plea of a co-accused, Raham Wali, cleaner of the tanker, and acquitted him. He was also convicted by the trial court.

The two appellants were arrested by the officials of the customs department on June 27, 2003, near Takhtbhai (Mardan) when they were travelling in an oil tanker.

The customs officials had recovered match explosive material from the tanker.

Petition Accepted: The Peshawar High Court on Monday accepted a petition of a contractor and directed the Kohat district government to pay his dues which were outstanding for more than a decade.