The Justice Project Pakistan’s petition stated that at least 25 Pakistani citizens had been detained at Bagram jail without any charge or trial since 2003. PHOTO: FILE
The Lahore High Court on Tuesday directed the Ministry of the Interior to arrange a meeting between 10 Pakistani citizens, recently released from the Bagram detention centre in Afghanistan, and their families within 10 days.
The Lahore High Court issued the order as the Ministry of Interior conceded in court that the citizens had been released from Bagram and handed over to Pakistani authorities.
The court was hearing a petition filed by the Justice Project Pakistan (JPP) seeking the release of Pakistani citizens detained at Bagram. Justice Project Pakistan’s counsel Barrister Sarah Belal expressed concern over the well-being of the repatriated citizens in Pakistani authorities’ custody.
Justice Khalid Mahmood Khan directed the ministry to ensure that the repatriated detainees were protected from harm and kept in a designated prison, and not a safe house. The released detainees include Awal Noor, Bismillah Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Paizoo Khan, Farman Shah, Abdul Sattar, Shah Khalid, Wajid Rehman, Rehmatullah, Sallah Muhammad (Yunus Rehmatullah).
The Justice Project Pakistan’s petition stated that at least 25 Pakistani citizens had been detained at Bagram jail without any charge or trial since 2003.
It alleged that they had been abducted from Pakistan and taken to the United States’ prison in Afghanistan.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 21st, 2014.
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