November 22, 2006	Wednesday	Shawwal 29, 1427

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PESHAWAR, Nov 21: A man who had been picked up allegedly by an intelligence agency more than 18 months ago was released in Mardan on Monday night.

Ali Sher is among the 40 missing people about whom Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry had directed the government to provide details about their whereabouts by Dec 1.

Amnesty International and the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan had also mentioned the case of Ali Sher in their reports on forced disappearances of scores of people across the country.

The detainee, a motor mechanic by profession, was left by officials of an intelligence agency near Sabzi Mandi in Mardan, family members of the detainee told Dawn.

"He is silent about his mysterious disappearance and the only thing we learnt from him was that he was kept somewhere in Islamabad by an intelligence agency," said one of his close relatives. He added that the family suspected that he was in custody of the Inter Service Intelligence (ISI).

He was in good health and appeared normal, the relative said, adding that he had divulged nothing about what happened to him.

The detainee was picked up 17 days after his marriage. During his disappearance his wife gave birth to a baby-girl.

He was allegedly picked from a market in Mardan on May 3, 2005, after an Al Qaeda operative Abul Faraj al-Libi was arrested there. After his disappearance news reports appeared in different papers wherein intelligence sources were quoted and it was alleged that Ali Sher was an Al Qaeda operative who used to recruit people for the organisation.

Family members had denied the news reports and claimed that they belonged to a poor family and had no resources for such activities.Brother of the detainee used to visit Islamabad regularly to participate in protest demonstration against intelligence agencies under the aegis of Defence of Human Rights. During the demonstrations families of scores detainees took out processions and in one such demo they staged a sit-in in front of the ISI office in Islamabad.

Meanwhile, a habeas corpus petition filed by Amir Hamza and Mohammad Israr, father and brother of the detainee respectively, was also fixed for hearing on Tuesday.

The petitioners withdrew the petition and informed the court that the detainee had reached home.

Advocate Fazal Ilahi Khan appeared for the petitioners. He stated that Ali Sher had reached home at 10pm. He added that the petitioners intended to withdraw the petition.

The petition was filed by Human Rights Commission of Pakistan on behalf of the two petitioners.