Monitoring internment centres: Six detainees have links with anti-state elements, govt tells PHC

Court demands explanation as to why no arrangements were made for detainee to take PTC exams.


Our Correspondent November 11, 2014

PESHAWAR:


The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has been informed by the government that six detainees in the internment centre at Ghallanai have been found to be in the ‘black’ category and have links with militants.


The information was shared with a bench comprising Chief Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel and Justice Haider Ali Khan during a hearing of 14 petitions regarding enforced disappearances on Tuesday. Additional Advocate General Qaiser Ali Shah, Deputy Attorney General Manzoor Khalil and attorney of FATA additional chief secretary, Iqbal Durrani, appeared before the bench.

During the hearing, Qaiser Ali Shah said the interning authorities had completed their enquiry. According to their findings, six detainees had links with anti-state elements and were involved in subversive activities.



Shah said the government has categorised the detainees in three categories and those placed in the ‘black’ category are proven militants. According to the additional advocate, detainees placed in the ‘black’ category included Faiz Muhammad, who had been picked up from Sro Kalay in Charsadda in August 2011, and Niaz Ali who was picked up in September 2013 and detained in Ghallanai internment centre. Similarly, Qari Muhammad Jamil was picked up in 2009 and remained missing till he was found in the internment centre in Ghallanai. Moreover, Noor Zaman was picked up from Namak Mandi in May 2011, Abdul Basit was picked up from Shabqadar in August 2011 and Abdul was picked up from Bara.

Jamil’s counsel, Muhammad Iqbal Mohmand, told the court his client has been detained in the internment centre for the last five years.

According to Chief Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel, since the detainees placed in the ‘black’ category have been arrested under Action (in Aid of Civil Power) Regulations 2011, the court cannot proceed with their cases any further. He asked the attorneys of the detainees to file an application before the interning authority and present their demands.

The bench added detainees would be provided with adequate health facilities and their visitation rights would not be infringed upon. However, if the detainees encounter any problems, they can approach the court to have their grievances addressed.

The court disposed of their cases after obtaining information about their categories.

Missed educational milestones

The court was also told that Attaullah Rehman, son of Pashmina Bibi, has been detained in Ghallanai internment centre. He was picked up on February 23 and his whereabouts were traced to the internment centre in Ghallanai, Mohmand Agency. The bench had then learnt that Rehman would miss his Primary Teacher Certificate (PTC) examination on October 23.

The court had ordered to make arrangements for the detainee to take the PTC examination.

However, no tangible steps had been taken in this regard.

As a result, the court issued notices to FATA additional chief secretary, the political administration of Mohmand Agency and the official in-charge of Ghallanai internment centre to explain why its orders had not been complied with.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 12th, 2014.

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