PESHAWAR, Feb 1: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) summoned on Tuesday in person a convicted drug trafficker, Amanaullah Kundi, who was released following the NWFP government's decision to suspend his prison term.

A two-member bench, comprising PHC Chief Justice Nasirul Mulk and Justice Ijaz Afzal, directed that Mr Kundi should appear before the court on Feb 16. The court also issued notice to the Sindh government, observing that it was an important party in the case.

The order was issued in a writ petition filed by the Anti-Narcotics Force, stating that the NWFP government had no authority to suspend prison term awarded to Mr Kundi by a court in Karachi in a case of drug trafficking.

Deputy Attorney-General Salahuddin Khan appeared for the ANF and contended that the impugned order of the provincial government was already suspended by the high court therefore the convict should be re-arrested.

Advocate Yahya Afridi, representing Mr Kundi, contended that the Sindh government was consulted by the NWFP government before suspending the prison term of Mr Kundi, who is a former provincial minister, and was released on July 17, 2004 after suspension of his prison term by the government on medical grounds.

It was widely believed that the influential Kundi family had supported the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (F) chief, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, and his brother during the general and by-elections in Tank and Dera Ismail Khan, following which the prison term of Mr Kundi was suspended.

He was sentenced to 25-year rigorous imprisonment by a trial court in Karachi in 1991 for attempting to smuggle 10kg heroin. After his conviction he was shifted to the NWFP.