Pakistani spy agencies given five days to produce Zardari aide

Islamabad, July 21 (IANS) The Islamabad High Court has given intelligence agencies five days to produce an aide to former Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari who was allegedly picked up from his house on April 4.

At a hearing on Thursday, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani warned that the intelligence agencies operating under the ministries of defence and interior "will face the repercussions of the judgement" if they failed to produce Nawab Leghari by July 25, the Dawn reported on Friday.

He suggested that representatives of the agencies and the investigation officer of the case together resolve the issue.

The Intelligence Bureau told the court that the victim was not in their custody, the Dawn said. Other agencies, including the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Military Intelligence, have already denied having any information about the missing person.

The counsel for Leghari, Qasim Nawaz Abbasi, presented additional documents to the court which stated that on April 15 the Interior Minister had said that "an important development has taken place regarding" Leghari and that he had spoken to the heads of the ISI and the IB.

"This alone is sufficient to arrive at the conclusion that the whereabouts of (Leghari) are well in the knowledge of the official respondents," he said.

According to the petition, Leghari was at his house in Swan Garden, Islamabad, when some people knocked at the door and identified themselves as government officials.

After Leghari and his cousin showed their national identity cards to the visitors, they bundled the former into their car and drove away.

In her petition, Leghari's wife alleged that he may be held in illegal confinement by the Interior Secretary.