PHC issues notice to APA for detaining 14 family members

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Monday issued notice to assistant political agent of Frontier Region (FR) Peshawar for detaining 14 members of a family, including two school going children, under Collective Responsibility Section of the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR).
A two-member bench comprising Justice Roohul Amin Khan and Justice Muhammad Daud Khan asked the official to explain as to why the petitioners were arrested and detained under Section 21 of the FCR.
During hearing of the petition, Wali Khan Afridi, counsel for the petitioners submitted that there was a money dispute between Sher Mast and Nasir Khan. He submitted that the FR Peshawar APA took cognisance of the matter and arrested 14 members of a family on June 17, 2015. There are two school going children in the detainees including Nasir, son of Muslim Khan and Nabil Khan, son of Sadiq Islam.
The remaining detainees are Said Bacha, Said Kamal, Nasrullah, Bashir, Said Hakeem,
Shahzad, Inayatur Rehman, Yar Zaman, Abdul Jalil, Karim, Raaz Muhammad and Fayyaz. He submitted that arrest of minors was against the FCR law. He said that majority of the petitioners were patients and one Inayatur Rehman was a heart patient.
The counsel said that it was a money dispute between other members of the family and the petitioners had no concern with them. He said the APA illegally arrested the petitioners and the court may direct him to release them.