KARACHI, July 14: A division bench of the Sindh High Court on Monday issued a pre-admission notice to the advocate-general for July 18 in a petition alleging illegal confinement.

Denying the allegation at the preliminary hearing, Additional Advocate-General Suleiman Habibullah submitted that the detenu, Iqbal Qureshi, had been taken into custody under the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance. The detention period was due to expire on July 19.

The bench, which consisted of Justices S. Ahmed Sarwana and Zia Perwez, asked the law officer to produce the detention order and the material it was based on, and directed that the AG be put on notice for July 18.

Another division bench comprising Justices Ghulam Nabi Soomro and Azizullah M. Memon admitted an appeal moved by a trafficking convict and issued a notice to the state for July 23. The appellant was arrested by the Anti-narcotics Force on October 10, 1997 while travelling in a taxi with 27kg charas in his possession. He was tried and awarded life imprisonment by the Special Court for Control of Narcotic Substances. A fine of Rs 500,000 was also imposed on him.