PESHAWAR, May 16: Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Dost Mohammad Khan on Wednesday directed security agencies to release within a fortnight the people who have been in their custody for years without evidence.

The agencies were also asked to shift the alleged outlaws to the interment centres for trial under the law. The CJ issued these directions while heading a two-member bench, which heard the petitions of 40 people about their missing relatives.

Justice Dost Mohammad warned that those failing to obey the law would have to face strict action in line with military and civil laws. He asked the government and political administration officials not to cooperate with security agencies in unconstitutional moves, including the picking up of innocent people.

The CJ directed the provincial and federal governments to ensure provision of all basic facilities to the people at internment centres.

He expressed annoyance at illegal arrest of people and violation of privacy by the security agencies.

The court directed all relevant military and civilian officers, including field commanders and district coordination officers working in Fata and Pata or anywhere in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, to submit within a month the detailed reports about the people in their custody.

It said the accused should be shifted to internment centres within three weeks for trial, while the innocent detainees should be released forthwith.

The court observed that after the stipulated time, the relevant civil and military officials would be held responsible for keeping people in illegal detention.

It said the federal and provincial governments should allocate funds for people at internment centres so that they could be provided with  clothes, food, water and medicines otherwise action would be taken against the relevant officials.

The court also asked the officials to ensure provision of psychotic counseling and religious freedom.

The director general and secretary of the health department were told to personally check facilities at internment centre and give report to the court.

The court also directed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General of Police Mohammad Akbar Khan Hoti to shut down all torture cells run by police in the province within 15 days to prevent action.

The IGP said police had kept no one in illegal detention and in case of the arrest of terrorists, cases were registered in the relevant police stations. The CJ, however, said the court had information about 22 citizens kept in different torture cells of police.