Islamabad, Nov 02: The daughter of Pakistan's main opposition leader has asked a court to order the release of her father, whose whereabouts have been unknown since his arrest last week, a lawyer said today. Javed Hashmi, the head of the 15-party alliance for restoration of democracy, was arrested late Wednesday.

Hashmi's lawyer Syed Zafar Ali Shah told the media that a petition seeking the politicians' release from "illegal custody" was filed yesterday at the high court in Rawalpindi by Hashmi's daughter, Memona Hashmi. A hearing was scheduled for tomorrow. Police have said Hashmi is being held on charges including treason, attempting to incite mutiny in the army and defaming the military.

The government says it is interrogating Hashmi about an unsigned letter which he had displayed at a news conference, and which was purportedly written by an army officer who praised the Parliament for opposing a US request for Pakistani troops in Iraq.

The letter also allegedly criticises President Pervez Musharraf's decision to ally Pakistan with the US-led war against Parliament debate how Musharraf became Pakistan's leader. Musharraf seized power in a bloodless coup in 1999.

Hashmi, a strong opponent of Musharraf, has demanded that the general be tried for treason for subverting the Constitution by staging the coup, said Sadique al-Farooq, a spokesman for Hashmi's Pakistan Muslim League Party, which is in the main opposition alliance.

Bureau Report