ISLAMABAD: The Isla­mabad High Court (IHC) on Monday disposed of a petition seeking the recovery of an ex-army man after additional attorney general informed the court that he was in the custody of of an intelligence agency on espionage charges.

Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani was hearing the petition filed by Khaleeqa Khursheed, the wife of Kashmiri citizen and former soldier Khawaja Khursheed, for the recovery of her husband.

Mr Khursheed, a resident of Neelum Valley of Azad Kashmir, went missing on June 7.

Last week Justice Kaya­­ni sought written reports from the Sector Comman­ders of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Mili­tary Intelligence (MI) dep­­u­ted in Rawal­pi­n­­­­di, Islam­abad and Azad Kashmir on the petition see­­king recovery of Mr Khursheed.

The judge disposed of the petition after the additional attorney general Bar­­­rister Munawar Iqbal Duggal submitted a report from Military Intelligen­­ce, which disclosed that the former soldier was in its custody, under the Offi­cial Secrets Act for espionage.

According to the petition, Mr Khursheed was in Rawalpindi and went to Sector G-13 of Islamabad, but did not return home on June 7.

The counsel of the petitioner informed the IHC that Mr Khursheed’s brother had lodged the complaint with the police that despite hectic efforts, Mr Khursheed could not be traced.

Published in Dawn, June 25th, 2024