Incarceration abroad: foreign secretary to submit report by November 10

Detainees allegedly abducted from Bagram and handed over to other countries without any reason.


Express October 20, 2010

LAHORE: Lahore High Court’s Chief Justice (CJ) Khawaja Muhammad Sharif, on Tuesday, sought a report and parawise comments from Ministry of Foreign Affairs secretary on a petition against the alleged abduction and extradition of seven Pakistani citizens, earlier detained in an Afghani jail, to other countries.

The petitioner, Sultana Noor, a representative in Pakistan of a UK based organisation which fights for prisoner rights, through her counsel, Advocate Salman Akram Raja, submitted the case of the seven detained at Bagram.

The Ministry of Interior submitted that the matter was related to the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

A law officer of the court submitted a letter issued by the Defence Ministry director Lt Col Sarfraz Khan on October 14 which requested six weeks time for submitting a reply.

The court only gave the Defence Ministry till the next date of hearing, November 10, to file a response.

The CJ took serious note of the delay in filing the report and directed the secretary of the Foreign Affairs Ministry to submit a report and parawise comments by November 10, otherwise the secretary would be summoned in person to the court.

The petitioner alleged that the detainees were abducted from the prison and handed over to other countries without any reason. The seven were identified as Awal Khan, Hamidullah Khan, Abdul Haleem Saifullah, Fazal Karim, Amal Khan, Iftikhar Ahmad and Younas Rehmatullah.

The petitioner contended that Pakistani citizens suspected of being involved in any wrongdoing deserved the benefit of the presumption of innocence and due process rather than being handed over to foreign authorities to be tortured abroad.

Noon alleged that Pakistani authorities played a role in the abduction and extradition of these citizens to foreign countries. The petitioner prayed that the respondent ministries be directed to make representations as required by law on the behalf of the abducted men and organise arrangements for their release and repatriation to Pakistan.

Noon further prayed that the court order registration of criminal cases against those involved in the abduction of Pakistani citizens and their handing over to foreign countries.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 20th, 2010.

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