PESHAWAR, Oct 6: A two-member bench of the Peshawar High Court on Wednesday ordered transfer of a case about kidnapping of a child for ransom from ordinary court to the anti-terrorism court.

The bench comprising Justice Malik Hamid Saeed and Justice Qazi Ahsanullah Qureshi observed that the offence fell in the category of an act of terrorism. The bench accepted a writ petition filed by Waliullah Khan, father of the boy, Aziz Khan, who had been kidnapped for ransom on June 30, 2003.

An FIR was registered at the Police Station University Town. The kidnappers released the boy on Sept 3, 2003, after receiving Rs800,000 from the boy's family. Five persons, Jabeen Gul, Fazal Wadud, Niaz Ali, Janat Gul and Umerzeb, were charged in the case.

Initially, an FIR had been registered under section 365 of the Pakistan Penal Code (kidnapping), but later it was converted into section 365-A (kidnapping for ransom). After completion of investigation the final charge sheet of the case was submitted in a sessions court.

Advocate Essa Khan appeared for the petitioner and contended that the act of the accused persons had created terror among the people in the area. He contended that kidnapping a child for ransom amounted to terrorism and it should be tried by an anti-terrorism court.