ISLAMABAD, Aug 10: The Islamabad High Court on Wednesday was informed that the Military Intelligence (MI) had categorically denied abduction or custody of four missing activists of banned Hizbut Tahrir.

Appearing before the single bench of IHC Chief Justice Iqbal Hameedur Rehman in four identical petitions filed by the relatives of missing HuT's deputy spokesman Imran Yousufzai, Hayyan Dawar Khan, Osama Hanif and Dr Abdul Qayyum; Deputy Attorney General Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri said the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) had requested for more time to submit their reply as they needed to gather data from all over the country.

He said the petitioners’ counsel had alleged that the missing persons had been detained in General Headquarters. “If the allegation is true, even then the GHQ is beyond the jurisdiction of this court and only Lahore High Court can take up the matter,” he contended.

According to him, police stations of Shalimar, Koral, Margalla and Rahim Yar Khan had started investigations after registration of FIRs of the abduction of the missing persons; therefore, the petitions may be disposed of.

He expressed the possibility that the missing persons would have gone to North Waziristan on their own, as there had been such instances in the past.

Umer Hayat Sindhu, counsel for the petitioners, said earlier MI and ISI in similar situations had denied the abduction of two persons - Siddiqul Farooq and Ghulam Rasool - but later produced them when the Supreme Court issued it a 24-hour ultimatum.

He informed the court that the fifth missing HuT activist, Abdul Wajid, who was allegedly abducted on July 30, had returned home late on August 9.

Upon his return, his brother-in-law Sanawar Shah, the petitioner, requested the court for withdrawal of the petition. Mr Sindhu said Wajid was detained by MI at an undisclosed location.

The court reserved judgment on the petitions and will announce it on Friday.