PESHAWAR, Nov 12: An Uzbek and a Kyrgyz were released from the Peshawar Central Prison on Wednesday on the order of the Peshawar High Court.

Both the released prisoners, Abdul Azeem of Uzbekistan and Ali Sher of Kyrgyzstan stated that they had come to Pakistan for seeking Islamic education.

They claimed that they were students at a University in France from where they went to Turkey, then Iran and then to Pakistan.

They were arrested on Sept 13, 2008 by the law enforcing agencies at Dera Ismail Khan and were charged under the Foreigners Act. A trial court had convicted them and they were sentenced to 15 days imprisonment with fine of Rs3,000 each.

A writ petition was filed in the high court on their behalf by the Chairman of World Prisoners Relief Commission, Javed Ibrahim Paracha, seeking their release.

Mr Paracha had requested the court to order that they should be set free and deported to their respective countries. He had assured the high court that he would make travelling arrangements for them.

Advocate Qazi Muhammad Anwer had represented these prisoners and stated that they had already completed their prison term and now their detention was illegal.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Jehanzeb Raheem and Justice Said Maroof Khan had on Tuesday last ordered the prison authorities to release them. The bench had directed Mr Paracha to provide air tickets for their deportation.

Mr Paracha told journalists outside the central prison that these prisoners had converted to Islam around six months ago. He added that they were studying at a university in France and decided to go to an Islamic country for getting religious education.