Questionable arrest: Assistant political agent to appear in court today

PHC hears case of a man’s four-month detention by Khyber Agency admin.

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday summoned the assistant political agent of Jamrud, Khyber Agency for detaining a man over a civil case for four months.

The order was issued by a division bench comprising Justice Mian Fasihul Mulk and Musarrat Hilali after they were informed by petitioner Suhail’s lawyer that his client’s father, Abdur Rehman, had a monetary dispute involving Rs0.5 million with Khalid Khan around four months ago.



Representing the petitioner, Jawad Khan said khasadars arrested Rehman from the police jurisdiction of Pishtakhara, Peshawar but later shifted him to Khyber Agency where the assistant political agent locked him up for four months.

Jawad further informed the bench that khasadars do not have the authority of arresting someone from the settled areas. The political administration’s counsel informed the court that there is a dispute between Rehman and Khalid and in order to settle the issue, one person was arrested and ordered to submit a surety bond after which he would be released.

Justice Mulk questioned the law under which the political administration arrested and detained Rehman, adding the act shows the political administration is operating under its own laws.

After hearing the arguments from both sides, the court ordered Khalid and the assistant political agent to appear before it on Thursday (today).

Published in The Express Tribune, December 12^th, 2013.