Enforced disappearances: Oversight boards list 18 more detainees as ‘proven militants’

Four others placed in grey category as suspected militants

PESHAWAR: Oversight boards of the Lakki Marwat, Kohat and Paithom internment centres have found 18 more detainees to be ‘proven militants’ and placed them in the black category.

The reports of the oversight boards were submitted on Wednesday by Additional Advocate General Qaiser Ali Shah to a bench comprising Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel and Justice Muhammad Daud Khan. The bench heard 22 petitions on enforced disappearances.

According to the reports, a thorough investigation conducted by the oversight board has found 18 detainees to be ‘proven militants’ on grounds of their anti-state activities. Meanwhile, four others have been placed in the grey category as suspected militants.

Home and Tribal Affairs Deputy Secretary Usman Zaman and Bannu Division Commissioner Asmatullah Gandapur were present in court for the hearing.

Asmatullah said the court had earlier ordered the salary of the previous Bannu commissioner to be attached. However, the relevant authorities had attached Asmatullah’s own salary while the previous commissioner Mohsin Shah had been transferred and posted as secretary of the Benevolent Fund Cell. The court then ordered Asmatullah’s salary should be released.

Court orders

The Bannu commissioner informed the bench families of detainees have been banned from visiting the Lakki Marwat internment centre following the attack on Army Public School (APS) on December 16, 2014.

The court ordered him to produce the official letter banning families from visiting the internment centre on the next date of hearing. It also directed family members of detainees who have complained about not being allowed to visit their loved ones to file applications with the commissioner.

The government was directed to extend all facilities, including health and visitation rights, to the families, provided in the Actions (in Aid of Civil Power) Regulations 2011.

The bench later disposed of the petitions as it could not proceed in the cases because the missing persons had already been traced. Home Deputy Secretary Usman Zaman informed the bench all orders related to the detainees had been complied with and further details would be provided to the court in this regard.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 19^th, 2015.