KARACHI, Jan 13: The Sindh High Court asked a deputy attorney- general on Tuesday to ascertain whether a freelance Pakistani journalist who accompanied two French newsmen on their unauthorized trip to Quetta and the Pak-Afghan border was being detained by any federal agency.

The FIA and the Sindh Police categorically stated in writing through the federal government's standing counsel, Syed Ziauddin Nasir, and Additional Advocate-General Sarwar Khan that Khawar Mehdi Rizvi was neither arrested nor detained by them. The statements were submitted in response to a notice issued by a division bench of the Sindh High Court, comprising Justices Ataur Rahman and Zia Perwez, on Dec 30.

As petition came up before another division bench, comprising Justices Anwar Zaheer Jamali and S. Ali Aslam Jafri, on Tuesday, petitioner Sohail Mehdi Rizvi, brother of the alleged detainee, submitted an affidavit through his counsel, M. Nadeem Qureshi and Abid Saqi Bhatti, reaffirming that Khawar was picked up on Dec 16 along with French journalists and had not been seen or heard of since then except on the Pakistan Television in FIA custody. The counsel informed the bench that as recently as Monday, a foreign office spokesman said that Khawar was being interrogated.

The petitioner said his brother accompanied the French journalists to Kandahar "to prepare a report on Taliban activities". He was picked up on his return and was being kept in unlawful confinement since then. The detainee looked sick when shown on the TV, according to the petitioner.

The bench asked the deputy attorney-general Syed Mohammad Zaki to find out whether the journalist was being held in custody by any other federal agency and adjourned further proceedings to Jan 20.

KIDNAPPING CASE: A division bench of the Sindh High Court, comprising Justice Ghulam Nabi Soomro and Justice Azizullah M Memon, on Tuesday adjourned the hearing till Jan 16 of a bail application filed by Asif Hussian and Salahuddin arrested in a kidnapping for ransom case as the state counsel sought time, adds PPI.

Applicants, who are said to be sons of SSP Crime (Hyderabad) and district Nazim Sanghar, respectively, are being tried in the anti-terrorism court for their alleged involvement in the kidnapping of Syed Raza Abbas for ransom on Aug 30.

Accused kidnapped Syed Raza Abbas near the Country Club Apartments in Sea-View where he went to meet absconding accused Natasha on her request as she allegedly called him on phone. An amount of Rs100 million was demanded from abductee's family for his release, but later he was released after getting Rs7 million on Oct 21.