ISI not a law enforcement agency: Pak Supreme Court

Pakistans Supreme Court has said that the countrys Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) was not a law-enforcement agency or a customs authority.

Islamabad, Aug 22 : Pakistan's Supreme Court has said that the country's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) was not a law-enforcement agency or a customs authority.

Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said while heading a full bench hearing the case of Pakistan-born German national Aleem Nasir, who was held by the ISI on allegation of smuggling precious stones and lodged in an underground cell at E-8, Islamabad.

Aleem Nasir, who was produced before the Court, said that he was arrested by the ISI from the Allama Iqbal International Airport, Lahore, on July 18, 2007 while on his way to Germany.

He was taken to the ISI headquarters for interrogation where the personnel of the agency asked him about his visit to different countries.

He said that he told the ISI officials that he was a German national and doing business in gemstones, The news reported.

Nasir further informed the Court that during interrogation he was threatened of being handed over to the US, and added that all his travel documents were taken away by the ISI.

The Chief Justice ordered immediate release of Aleem Nasir and directed that all his travel documents, including passport, should be provided to him so that he could return to Germany.

ANI