Enforced disappearances: Reports reveal ten inmates with militant ties

Some of such documents produced by internment centres before PHC missing details.

PESHAWAR:

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government on Tuesday produced reports from Lakki Marwat internment centre before the Peshawar High Court (PHC). The reports revealed ten detainees had ties with anti-state elements and were involved in subversive activities.

The information was shared with the division bench of Chief Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel and Justice Muhammad Younis Thaheem as they heard 62 petitions related to enforced disappearances.

The court was told by Additional Advocate General Qaiser Ali Shah that 10 detainees at the centre had links with terrorists and had been placed in the black category (proven militants). They were identified as Sajid Hussain, Majid Hussain, Qazi Ziaur Rehman, Aziz Ahmad, Qari Khalilullah, Akhtar Javed, Amir Ahmad, Muhammad Khurshid, Inayatullah and Fasihullah.

Oversight board reports of 15 other inmates of the same centre were also produced before the court. However, the division bench was told the category of these detainees had not been mentioned.

The court was also informed that the body of an inmate who died at the centre was handed over to his family.



Meanwhile, Amanat, one of the petitioners, told the court his son Ibrahim was being held in Landi Kotal, but his health was deteriorating due to lack of proper medical attention. He requested his son be shifted to Jamrud sub-division of Khyber Agency. The bench directed the provincial government to make proper arrangements for Ibrahim’s treatment.

The PHC bench also heard a petition related to Muhtaram Shah, whose body was handed to his family on Eidul Fitr. The man had been handed over to security forces in Swat around six years ago. His family later learnt he was being held at the Lakki Marwat internment centre.

It was said when Shah’s body was handed over to the family, there was a needle mark on his lip. Also, the truck of the deceased is reportedly still in the possession of security forces.

The court then issued a show-cause notice to the Lakki Marwat internment centre in charge, who was present at court to explain why internment rules were not followed in this case. The bench also asked for a report on the truck.

In some cases, the provincial government produced oversight board reports, but they were incomplete. The PHC asked authorities to produce complete reports before the next date of hearing.

Five reports produced by the Home and Tribal Affairs department before the PHC in recent months stated there were around 1,000 previously missing persons whose whereabouts were traced back to various notified interment centres of the province.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 26^th, 2014.