KARACHI, June 28: A division bench of the Sindh High Court issued a notice to the deputy attorney-general in a contempt petition against the foreign minister and the foreign and the cabinet secretaries for not complying with its order in respect of a Pakistani businessman held in the US prison at Guantanamo Bay.

Mrs Farhat Paracha submitted through Advocate Nisar A Mujahid that her husband, Saifullah Paracha, went missing on July 5, 2003, while on his way from Karachi to Bangkok on a valid visa. Her petition for his recovery and production was pending when she received his message from the US air force base at Bagram, Afghanistan, through the International Committee of Red Cross. An SHC division bench disposed of her petition on Sept 9, 2003, with a direction to the federal government to protect the interests and welfare of the detainee.Saifullah Paracha, who was accused of laundering money for Al Qaeda and attempting to smuggle arms into the US, was transferred to the Guantanamo Bay prison in September 2004. The petitioner said their son, Uzair Paracha, was, meanwhile, tried and convicted by a US court for trying to help an Al Qaeda operative enter the US and carry out terrorist activities.

Mrs Paracha said US President George Bush recently announced his intention to close the Guntanamo Bay prison and send the inmates back to their countries. She said the Pakistan government functionaries impleaded by her as respondents failed to comply with the court order to protect his interests and they should be asked to explain their past and present indifference and apathy.