PESHAWAR, June 23: The Peshawar High Court on Thursday disposed of a writ petition challenging the alleged illegal detention of a chemical industry official as the petitioner decided to withdrew the plea. The petitioner’s counsel informed the two-member bench, comprising Justice Tallat Qayyum Qureshi and Justice Ijazul Hassan that his client had requested for withdrawing the case.

Ms Naheeda, wife of Alamzeb Khan, general manager of Patro Chemical Industry, Hayatabad, had filed the petition. Officials of an intelligence agency had allegedly picked up Mr Khan when he was on way home from the industry in the last week of April 2005.

Top intelligence agencies of the country had already expressed ignorance about the whereabouts of Mr Khan as the deputy attorney-general had informed the court that they had not picked up Mr Khan.

An FIR, on the directives of the high court, was registered at the Hayatabad police station. However, the investigation officer informed the court that they could not trace Mr Khan.

During the last hearing, the court had asked the petitioner’s counsel to ascertain the place of detention of Mr Khan so that the court could continue with the case.