The officer in charge of the Lakki Marwat internment centre has been summoned by the Peshawar High Court to explain why rules were not followed in the case of a detainee who died in custody.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel and Justice Ikramullah Khan issued the directives on Thursday while hearing the case of Piyo Gul who died at Lakki Marwat internment centre, but the administration failed to give his death certificate to his family.
The deceased’s father, Gul Mat Khan, told the court his son was picked up on November 3, 2011 and his whereabouts remained unknown for some two years. According to Khan, on November 28, 2013, Lakki Marwat internment centre handed over Gul’s body to the family without any explanation for his death.
Additional Advocate General Rab Nawaz said Gul’s autopsy was not conducted on the insistence of his father.
Moreover, a report given to Khan by the centre in charge shows Gul was admitted to the hospital of the centre on November 28, 2013 as he was complaining of chest pain.
Khan said the political administration of Kurram Agency has confiscated a family vehicle and other goods worth Rs0.7 million and will not return them until Gul’s death certificate is shown.
The court then ordered the internment centre in charge to appear in court on October 22 with the entire record of the deceased detainee and explain why Prison Rules/Internment Rules 2011 were not complied with.
Section 14 (5) of the Internment Rules 2011 states that in case of a prisoner’s death or escape, the officer in charge must submit a full enquiry report to the interning authority with a copy to the findings of the magistrate who conducted the enquiry.
On July 25, the high court directed the provincial government to provide a death certificate to Gul’s family. The directive was issued by a division bench of Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan and Justice Musarrat Hilali while hearing a petition filed by Gul’s father.
According to the petition, Gul was travelling from Daggar to Sadda, Kurram Agency on November 3, 2011 and was arrested from an army check post. He was kept in the Lakki Marwat internment centre but later died in custody.
Family visit
The court also sought reports from the Paithom internment centre in Swat where three detainees, Habib Khan, Yar Muhammad and Abdul Majeed, are being kept. The directive came after the court was told that the families of the three men were not being allowed a meeting.
The court directed Additional Advocate General Mujahid Ali Khan that arrangements should be made for the families so they can meet the detainees. The hearing was then adjourned till November 11.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 10th, 2014.
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