PESHAWAR, April 26: The Peshawar High Court on Tuesday started proceedings for declaring as proclaimed offender a convicted drug trafficker, Amanullah Kundi, whose prison term had been suspended by the NWFP government and has now been absconding.

A two-member bench comprising Chief Justice Tariq Pervez Khan and Justice Fazlur Rehman Khan summoned the district police officer (DPO), Dera Ismael Khan, and the SHO of the DI Khan Cant police station for recording their statements.

The court started the proceedings under section 87 of the Criminal Procedure Code after repeated failure of Amanullah Kundi, a former provincial minister, to appear before the court in a writ petition filed by the Anti-Narcotics Force, challenging the provincial government’s order.

The deputy attorney general, Salahuddin Khan, informed the bench that the ANF had raided various areas but did not find Mr Kundi who had gone underground to avoid arrest.

He stated that the NWFP government had no authority to suspend his prison term because he had been convicted by a trial court in Sindh.

Additional advocate general Pir Liaquat stated that the police in D.I. Khan and Tank districts also had raided various areas where they suspected

Mr Kundi to be hiding but in vain.

The court decided to summon the two police officers, the DPO and the SHO for recording their statements under section 87 of the CrPC so as to declare Mr Kundi a proclaimed offender.

If he is declared an offender, his property may be attached by the court.

Mr Kundi was released by the government on July 17, 2004 after suspension of his prison term on medical grounds under section 401 of the CrPC. He was sentenced to 25 years rigorous imprisonment by a speedy trial court in Karachi in 1991 for attempting to smuggle 10kg of heroin.

After his conviction he was shifted to the NWFP. He remained absconding for almost a decade after escaping from police custody from a hospital in D.I. Khan.

In 2003, he surrendered and sought suspension of his prison term on medical grounds and on March 24, 2004, his remaining prison term was suspended by the provincial government.