PESHAWAR, Dec 3: The Peshawar district and sessions judge, Shahjehan Khan Akhundzada, on Saturday ordered the provincial health department to conduct corneal grafting of a British national, Zeeshan Siddiqui, charged with illegally entering Pakistan and possessing fake Pakistan identity card.

Mr Siddiqui, who claims that he lost sight of left eye during torture by intelligence agencies, had requested the court through an application for providing him medical treatment.

The court also ordered the Crimes Investigation Department (CID) to return within a week about Rs75,000 and other valuables seized from the applicant at the time of his arrest in last May.

Mr Akhundzda also directed the subordinate court of judicial magistrate conducting trial in the case of possessing fake identity card to complete the proceedings within a month.

The judge accepted a request made by Mr Siddiqui and allowed him to contact his family members in London through telephone from the prison. The court fixed Dec 17 for next hearing.

Mr Akhundzada took up for hearing various applications filed by the applicant. The applicant has requested for his medical treatment, return of his money and valuables and expeditious conclusion of his trial.

Human rights activist, Ms Mussarat Hilali, appeared for the applicant and contended that he lost his one eye’s sight in custody and further delay in his treatment would render him blind.

The court ordered the director general, health department, to provide him proper treatment and conduct his corneal grafting.

The CID had registered an FIR against Mr Siddiqui on May 18 and charged him with possessing fake identity card and illegal stay in Pakistan. For possessing the fake identity card he has been charged under section 419, 420, 468 and 471 of the Pakistan Penal Code and for illegal stay he was charged under section 14 of Foreigners Act.

The trial court had sent the case under the Foreigners Act to the district and sessions judge, observing that the court of judicial magistrate had no jurisdiction to deal with that case.

Mr Siddiqui was arrested from Shabqadar, situated in the Charssada district.

Ms Hilali requested the court to summon record from the Lahore International Airport through which Mr Siddiqui had entered into Pakistan via a flight of the Emirates Airlines on Feb 17, 2003.

She added that his entry into Pakistan was legal and he visited here through proper documents.

She requested the court to direct the CID for returning his money so as to conduct his medical treatment. She added that the applicant had been in very miserable condition due to continuous ophthalmological ailment.

The court inquired from the CID officials why they had not been returning the money seized from the accused at the time of his arrest.

The officials claimed that some of the amount was spent on his treatment while he was admitted at the Lady Reading Hospital, whereas they were not aware about the rest of the money.

The CID claimed that after his arrest Mr Siddiqui introduced himself as Shehzad from Madina Colony, Hyderabad.z