In custody: Jail superintendent asked to produce record of prisoner

Pirzada’s counsel says he is being held despite being acquitted by FCR commissioner.

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Tuesday ordered the superintendent of Peshawar Central Prison to produce the FIR and criminal record of a resident of Bara arrested  in 2012.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Nisar Hussain and Justice Musarrat Hilali issued the directions while hearing an application filed by Pirzada, who has reportedly been detained without any proof of criminal activity. It also demanded an explanation of his arrest from the superintendent and assistant political agent of Bara.



The applicant’s lawyer, Ghulam Mohiuddin Malik, informed the court his client was arrested by Mehsud Scouts during operation Al-Meezan in Khyber Agency and was later shifted to Shakas area.

The assistant political agent of Bara sentenced Pirzada to seven years of imprisonment on July 14 last year. However, on June 30 this year, Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) commissioner accepted Pirzada’s appeal and acquitted him, informed Malik, adding his client still languishes in jail and has been wrongfully accused without any proof.



After hearing the arguments, the bench ordered the prison superintendent to produce a record of the suspect in the hearing on August 27 and inform the court why Pirzada is in jail without any proof of criminal activity.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 14^th, 2013.