May 22, 2008	Thursday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 16, 1429

PESHAWAR, May 21: The Peshawar High Court on Wednesday issued production orders of two Tajik boys who had allegedly been in illegal detention for the last seven months.

A divisional bench comprising Justice Jehanzeb Raheem and Justice Ghulam Mohiuddin Malik put on notice the NWFP advocate general and directed the Peshawar central prison’s administration to produce the two detainees, Hafiz Ghafoor Bukhtiar and Muhammad Habib, on May 28, the next date of hearing.

The bench was hearing a habeas corpus petition filed by the chairman of World Prisoners Relief Commission, Jawed Ibrahim Paracha, stating that the two boys had undergone their prison term and now they had been in illegal detention.

He stated that both the boys were below 18 and they visited Pakistan for getting religious education.

He added that after completion of their religious studies at a local seminary they were leaving for Karachi for onward journey to Tajikistan, but were arrested by the Railway police at the Peshawar Cantt Railway station.

Advocate Qazi Muhammad Anwer appeared for the petitioner and contended that the boys were arrested on Oct 6, 2007 by the Railway police and were charged under section 14 of the Foreigners Act.

He added that the next day they were produced before the court of a judicial magistrate who sent them to prison.

Mr Anwer stated that the court convicted both the boys on Oct 17 and sentenced them to 11 days imprisonment with fine of Rs2,000 each in default of which they had to spend two more days in jail. The counsel stated that they had completed their prison term on Oct 20 and since then they had been languishing in the prison without any crime.

He added that the special branch police had in November last sent their case to the provincial home department, which stated that as they had complete documents, therefore, they could not be deported.