KOHAT, May 16: Intelligence agencies released an Al Qaeda suspect after the High Court ordered that he be produced in court, a senior member of the banned Sipah-i-Sahaba group has confirmed.

The suspect, a government official, was arrested last month for allegedly providing help to militants fleeing the border tribal region in South Waziristan Agency. Mujeebur Rehman was arrested from his house in the posh Kohat Development Authority (KDA) township in a late-night raid on April 2.

The intelligence agencies had claimed that they had intercepted his conversation with some Al Qaeda suspects on mobile phone, and he had been under observation for several months.

Javed Ibraheem Paracha, former PML (N) MNA, filed a habeas corpus petition in the Peshawar High Court challenging Mr Rehman's detention by the intelligence agencies. The court ordered the SSP, Kohat, DG ISI and DG MI to produce the detainee if he was in their custody before May 20.

Mr Javed Ibrahim Paracha claimed on Saturday that Mujeeb was handed over to him by the intelligence agencies and he would record his statement with a bench of the Peshawar High Court on May 20.