PESHAWAR, Jan 18: A two-member bench of the Peshawar High Court summoned on Tuesday the assistant political agent (APA) of Kohat Frontier Region (FR) on a writ petition challenging detention of a person under the Frontier Crimes Regulations.

The bench, comprising Justice Malik Hamid Saeed and Justice Shahjehan Khan, ordered that the APA should appear in person on Jan 25. The petitioner, Naveed Khan, said his brother-in-law was required in a case in Punjab and the APA, by misusing the FCR, arrested his brother, Sawaid Khan, in that case.

Appearing for the petitioner, Barrister Adnan Saboor Rohaila contended that the detention was illegal and unconstitutional. He argued that the APA had invoked the provisions of the FCR in an arbitrary manner.

The detainee, the consul added, had been working in Dubai as a driver since June 1998 and had come to Pakistan on Dec 4, 2004, to see his family. The petitioner said the APA, tehsildar and khasadar force raided the family house of the detainee on Jan 7 and demanded that he should appear before them.