Enforced disappearances: Six detainees placed in black category

PESHAWAR:

Six previously ‘missing persons’ were declared militants by Ghallanai internment centre’s oversight board. The report was submitted to the Peshawar High Court on Wednesday.

Additional Advocate General (AAG) Mujahid Ali Khan shared the findings during a hearing of 10 petitions on enforced disappearances. Chief Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel and Justice Muhammad Daud Khan heard the cases.

Brothers Zar Shah, Akbar Shah, Zahir Shah and Amir Shah along with Maewa Khan and Usman are the six who are detained at the internment centre in Mohmand. According to the AAG, all six were found to be in the black category.

The four brothers were picked up after a blast in a mosque in Mohmand Agency in October 2012. They were later traced to Ghallanai interment centre.

Maewa Khan was picked up in 2009 and his whereabouts were unknown till 2012. His family had requested to know why Maewa was interned. The government informed them he was involved in anti-state activities and had been placed in the black category.

After hearing the AAG, the high court disposed of the petitions, saying it could not proceed in these cases. However, the relevant authorities were directed to provide the inmates all health facilities and visitation rights.

In another case, the PHC gave the IGP 10 days to trace out those police officials who arrested suspected suicide bomber Bilal and his handler Jehangir Khan, whose whereabouts are unknown. Advocate Abdul Fayyaz represented the police and sought some more time to identify the officials. According to the petition, police arrested them on November 20, 2012.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 5^th, 2015.