ISLAMABAD:
The shock and heartbreak a mother suffers after seeing her children in miserably unrecognisable conditions cannot be underestimated.
Within 24 hours of meeting her two children, previously ‘missing’ prisoners in the Adiala jail saga, Rohaifa, the petitioner in the shocking case, died of cardiac arrest on Tuesday.
After a sleepless night following the meeting, 60-year-old Rohaifa developed a heartache. She had earlier witnessed the disturbing sight of her sons, Abdul Majid and Abdul Basit, looking emaciated in tatters, with urine bags protruding out of their trousers.
“She kept talking about Majid and Basit and was weeping since she returned after the meeting,” said one of Rohaifa’s five sons, Abdul Shakoor. Three of them were among the 11 men who went missing from Adiala jail. They were later found in the custody of intelligence agencies.
Rohaifa had already suffered an earlier heartbreak.
Last month, of the 11 missing prisoners, four bodies were discovered in Peshawar. One of them was her other son, Abdul Saboor.
She lost her life before she lost her hope, however. At the hearing on Monday, the slogan she raised in court was “Long live the chief justice”. She had hoped for justice in her last hours. “You can see how they have tortured my sons,” she had pleaded, addressing the chief justice.
Rohaifa’s body was taken to her native town of Kohat district, where she will be buried today (Wednesday).
The next hearing of the missing persons’ case in the Supreme Court is on March 1, 2012. Tariq Asad, Rohaifa’s counsel, was clear that her death was the result of the pain she suffered on seeing her tortured sons. Therefore, he said, the responsibility for her death lay with the concerned officials in these agencies. Asad said he would ask the court for stern action against them at the next hearing.
(Read: Missing persons case)
Published in The Express Tribune, February 15th, 2012.
COMMENTS (18)
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Well Pakistania who kick out their leaders and want army to rule them deserve this army is trained for war not for police duties
Its heartrending. There should be Transparency.
Another victim of the War of Terror
This torture and killing on 'Adiala Eleven' is inhuman and tragic and it is no secret as to who is responsible. The death of a heart-broken mother too is blood on the same hands. The real tragedy is to follow. No one, I repeat no one, will be punished for these horrible crimes and that means that this is not the last tragedy to be enacted. As it is Baloch have suffered immeasurably and will continue to suffer.oh what a horrible tragic story . im speechless.This world is so cruel . May Allah keep all of us in safety.
What's the reason behind her sons being held? That's the main question that should be asked over and over again, we love to talk about GITMO or Baghram but what's this on our own soil? Torture of the worst kind done by the animals of the worst kind!
a cold blooded murder by you know who?
Why we crticise " GUANTANAMO NAMO BAY"? What is difference in Pakistani-US agencies?
I hope her death haunts the perpetrators throughout their lives.... exteremly sad.
Pasha and Kiyani should be decorated with Nishan Haider and plots of two Kanals each for kidnapping ,trading, torturing and killing Pakistani citizens. This is a feat and has not been achieved by most repressive regimes in the world. If the law enforcers also start doing for what people hate Taliban, then where one should go?
We should not criticize the institutions its the system which is defaming highly esteemed Institutions, If courts and prosecutions system works efficiently these problems would not have emerged
Its a murder!!!!!!!!!!
First they make them as Monsters and then they fight and Torture them , Long live Pakistan Army we will never Understand them , they were Killing Pashtun and Baluch nobody was bothered but when they struck Punjab they were caught and Tortured to extract info from them . feel no sorry for them feel sorry for who created and then destroyed them .
Speechless..
Who is responsible for her death???
My heartfelt felicitations to the SC.
What a horrific story :(