ISLAMABAD, Aug 15: In another case of disappearance of a Hizbut Tahrir (HuT) activist, Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday sought a counter affidavit from intelligence agencies and ministries.

Hearing a petition filed by Naveed Mukhtar for the recovery of his brother Dr Mohammad Waheed, Justice Riaz Ahmed Khan directed the Deputy Attorney General (DAG) to produce a counter affidavit by Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Military Intelligence (MI), and ministries of interior and defence on Tuesday.

On last Friday, IHC Chief Justice Iqbal Hameedur Rehman had sent the cases of four allegedly abducted four activists of HuT to the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances, after declaring them as “missing persons”.

Umer Hayat Sindhu, counsel for the petitioner, told the court that on August 9, 2011 at 6:30pm the petitioner and his brother Dr Waheed were abducted by the officials of ISI and MI in Rahimyar Khan.

He said the brothers were forcibly taken away in a car. The petition said both were detained at a place about 30 minutes drive from they were abducted.

It alleged: “At about 9pm the officials of the respondents (ISI & MI) snatched the mobile phone, license and purse and covered the face of the petitioner (Mukhtar) and took him to some deserted place and ordered the petitioner to walk straight ahead and threatened to shoot him if he turned back. They also put Rs300 into the petitioner's pocket for expense to reach home.”

Deputy Attorney General Mohammad Abid Raja told the court that the CJ IHC has already sought a reply from ISI on similar petitions and requested for adjournment of the case till September 26.

But Justice Riaz Khan, expressing displeasure over the alleged detention, said it was not possible for the court to allow illegal confinement of a citizen for such a long period.

He said if the agencies and other respondents are not behind these alleged abductions, the DAG should submit a counter affidavit on behalf of the agencies on Tuesday.

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