October 15, 2008	Wednesday	Shawwal 15, 1429

PESHAWAR, Oct 14: The Peshawar High Court on Tuesday allowed two weeks time to the Peshawar Police for contacting intelligence agencies to know the whereabouts of four missing persons including a union council nazim.

A two-member bench comprising Chief Justice Tariq Pervez Khan and Justice Syed Mussadiq Hussain Gillani adjourned hearing of a habeas corpus petition filed by Noor Malik, close relative of the four detainees, with the direction to the Chief of the Capital City Police (CCCP), Dr Mohammad Suleman to inform the court regarding the whereabouts of the detainees after 14 days.

The four detainees include: brothers of the petitioner named Abdul Malik, who is nazim of union council Adezai, and Abdul Raziq; son of Abdul Malik, Gul Malik; and, another nephew of the petitioner, Israr. The petitioner claimed that the detainees were picked by the local police on Sept 27 following which there whereabouts were not known.

The local police backed by Frontier Corps had carried out an operation in the southern outskirts of the provincial capital on Sept 27 after a police flag march was attacked by unidentified miscreants.

The police had arrested 15 persons including the four detainees and had charged them providing shelter and support to the militants who had been active in the area during last couple of months. Later on 11 of the arrested persons were released but the detained remained in custody.

During last hearing the court was informed by the police that the four detainees were handed over to an intelligence agency for interrogation. The court had given one week time to the police to contact the agencies.

The CCCP on Tuesday said that court that he had contacted the intelligence agency and they now needed some time for sorting out the issue. Advocate Abdul Lateef Afridi appeared for the petitioner and contended that the detention of the four detainees was illegal and unconstitutional. He added that the petitioner came to know through his sources that the concerned agency had completed its interrogation and the detainees were no longer required to them.

He stated that the detainees were innocent. He added that some miscreants had fired on the police from forest in the area on Kohat Road and the residence of the detainees was also situated nearby.

The bench decided to give two weeks time to the CCCP for contacting the intelligence agency and informing the court about the any development in that regard.