PESHAWAR, July 10: A division bench of the Peshawar High Court on Tuesday directed the NWFP advocate-general to contact the Punjab police about the detention of a person missing for the last 25 days.

The bench comprising Justice Dost Muhammad Khan and Justice Raj Muhammad Khan issued the directives after the SHO of Nasirbagh police station expressed ignorance about the missing person.

The bench was hearing a habeas corpus petition filed by Mohammad Naeem challenging the alleged illegal detention of his uncle, Shah Zaman. He alleged that a police party headed by SHO Khaista Khan picked up his uncle on June 15 and since then he had been kept in illegal detention.

The SHO said that neither he had arrested Shah Zaman nor was he aware of his whereabouts.

Abdul Lateef Afridi, the petitioner’s counsel, said the detainee was taken away by the SHO in presence of several people.

Mr Afridi argued that after the filing of the habeas corpus petition, the police had handed over the detainee to the Punjab police where he had been implicated in a false case.

The bench directed Advocate- General Pir Liaquat to ask the Punjab police if the detainee was in their custody.

The AG assured the court that he would collected the information, and if found, the detainee would be produced before the court for recording his statement.

Peshawar district and sessions judge Miftauddin Khan had dismissed the petition on Jun 18. The local police and provincial home department had been made respondents in the petition.

The petitioner alleged that Shah Zaman had been picked up by SHO Khaista Khan two days after he was released by a local court in a traffic offence case.

Shah Zaman was arrested on June 14 on charge of travelling in a car having tainted glass. He was released on bail the following day.