Enforced disappearances: PHC orders report on inmate’s cause of death

Deceased’s family members still in custody; another suspect placed in black category.

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court directed the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government to produce a report specifying the cause of death of an inmate whose family said he died while confined at the Kohat internment centre. 

The order was issued by the division bench of Chief Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel and Justice Muhammad Daud Khan as they heard petitions of enforced disappearances on Wednesday.

Three members of Saeed Gul’s family were picked up on suspicion after a suicide attack—Almaruddin, Afsaruddin and Ghafaruddin. The whereabouts of Almaruddin remained unknown initially, but then the family learnt he was detained in Kohat.

On March 6, 2014, they received Almaruddin’s body, but were never given a cause of death. On the other hand, Afsaruddin and Ghafaruddin are still in custody of Thal Scouts.

The bench directed the government to provide the cause of Almaruddin’s death and details of the other two inmates.

Categorising inmates

The PHC also disposed of a petition in which an investigation found that suspect Amir Zada was a proven militant and he was placed in the black category.

He was, however, given permission to meet his family at the centre and all types of facilities would be provided to him.

In another petition, Bismillah Khan was placed in the grey category (suspected militant). The court subsequently asked the principal staff officer of the Kohat commissioner whether anyone placed in the grey category had been released. The official replied in the negative, adding the future of such suspects would be discussed in an upcoming meeting of the internment centre’s officials.

The court was informed that the health of Landi Kotal internment centre inmate Wilayat Shah was unsatisfactory. The bench sought a report of the detainee, while his counsel requested his client be shifted to Jamrud tehsil of Khyber Agency. The counsel was informed he can file an application before the commissioner for the transfer of his client.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 26^th, 2015.