PESHAWAR, July 7: The Peshawar High Court on Thursday put on notice the federal interior ministry, NWFP inspector-general of police and secretary home department while hearing a writ petition challenging the detention of four persons, including two sisters suspected of plotting suicide attacks. A two-member bench, comprising Chief Justice Tariq Pervez and Justice Muhammad Raza Khan, took up for preliminary hearing the petition filed by Hameed Khan, father-in-law of one of the two sisters, Arifa Baluch. The petitioner has stated that the detainees were innocent and the charges against them were baseless.

He has challenged the detention of his wife Ms Gul Hamdana, son Bilal Khan, daughter-in-law Arifa Baluch and Saba Baluch, sister of Arifa who is married to Asif. Ms Saba Baluch is having a newly born baby boy with her in detention.

The two sisters and their two other relatives were allegedly picked by officials of an intelligence agency in the first week of June from Swat district, but the news of their arrest appeared in national newspapers on June 10.

The government had claimed that the sisters, belonging to Karachi, were given training of suicide bombing by their maternal uncle named Gul Hassan, who allegedly belonged to the banned Lashkar-i-Jhangvi.

Petitioner’s counsel, Khurheed Ahmad Shahan, contended that their detention was illegal and against the constitution.

He argued that their arrest had not been made public and family members had been searching for them. He requested the court to order the production of the detainees before the court.

Brother of the detainee Bilal Khan also appeared before the court and stated that his brother, mother, sister-in-law and her sister had been taken into custody by police and officials of an intelligence agency without informing them about the reason of their arrest. He dispelled the impression that they had been involved in any terrorist activity.—Bureau Report