KARACHI, Feb 20: The Sindh High Court has issued notices to the home and prisons departments in a petition that has alleged the illegal detention of an acquitted man.

Petitioner Nazim Ali Kazmi submitted through Advocate Sohail Jabbar that his son, Syed Ahmed Kazmi, was arrested by the Boating Basin police on April 6, 2004, for allegedly being involved in a police encounter and for possessing unlicensed weapons.

He was also accused of being involved in the Macedonian consulate bomb blast case in 2002, which killed four persons.

The accused was convicted by an anti-terrorism court in the blast case but acquitted in all other cases. In the blast case, he was acquitted in appeal by the high court.

An order under the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance (MPO) was, however, served on Ahmer before his release.

He was placed under preventive detention for 30 days on January 6 for indulging in activities prejudicial to public peace and safety and maintenance of public order. The detention order was extended for another month till March 6.

The counsel submitted that the MPO was not available for keeping behind bars an accused acquitted after his trial. No person can be deprived of his liberty guaranteed by Article 10 of the Constitution without a cogent reason or by a mechanical order.

He prayed that the impugned detention order be set aside and the respondents directed to compensate the detainee for unlawful confinement.