ISLAMABAD, July 20: The Lahore High Court (Rawalpindi Bench) on Thursday adjourned hearing till September 6 in a petition filed by a father of a nuclear scientist seeking recovery of his son.

Attiqur Rehman was a senior scientist associated with the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission. He was arrested from his house in Abbottabad about two years back on the day of his marriage. Since then, his whereabouts are unknown. His family members are not being informed where the scientist has been kept.

His father Siddiqur Rehman in a petition in the Lahore High Court contended that his son had been picked up by secret agencies. The court heard the case on Thursday. The ministry of interior and Inter Services Intelligence have denied the scientist was in their custody.

The petitioner counsel Ikram Chaudhary argued before the court that the Inspector General of Police (NWFP) and Senior Superintendent of Police Abbottabad should be asked if the scientist had been in their custody.

On this, the learned judge Justice Shabbar Raza Rizvi said that the NWFP police was in the court purview.

In response, the petitioner counsel contended that the ministry of interior had also been respondent in the petition. Through it, the police authorities in NWFP could be contacted.