https://medium.com/@ZarAliAfridi/doctor-shakeel-afridi-is-deprived-of-basic-facility-in-jail-and-his-life-is-under-threat-c58ec2a31ff8
By Zar Ali Khan Afridi
20th April, 2017
There have been six years after Dr
Shakeel Afridi an Agency Surgeon of Khyber in FATA. Doctor Shakeel Afridi was
alleged to have helped US intelligence agency CIA tracked down Osama bin laden
from Abbott bad a garrison city of Pakistan. He was arrested on May 23, 2011
from Industrial state Hayat abad Peshawar which is a settled area of Pakistan.
Osama bin laden was hit by US forces on May 2. 2011.
Doctor Shakeel Afridi remained in
custody of Pakistan intelligence Agency ISI and reappeared on 23rd
May, 2012. He remained in custody of ISI for long one year. He was brought to
office of Political Agent Khyber Agency situated in Peshawar Cantt where
Assistant Political Agent Bara sub Division announced to him 33 years rigorous
imprisonment. APA sent him to Peshawar central jail where he was put behind bar
in a tiny room which had no facility like newspaper, gas, cold water, fan and
above all he was quite unsecure. There was abundance of mosquitoes which could
not leave him to sleep. Latter on his brother Jamil Khan Afridi through his
lawyer submitted an appeal against his brother punishment in court of the
Commissioner Peshawar Division as people of FATA have no right to appeal in
Peshawar High Court or any superior court of Pakistan according to constitution
of Pakistan of 1973 which bars residents of FATA to appeal in courts. This is a
fundamental human right but in Pakistan a tribal has no such right to appeal
and to get justice.
The case could not be heard for long
one year due to unknown reasons. After Commissioner Jamil was transferred and
he was replaced by another commissioner Sahibzada Anees he took decision and
suspended punishment of 33 year and sent back case to PA Khyber for fair
retrial. Soon after he sent back case then Commissioner was found dead in
Islamabad. PA Khyber kept case intact and did not decrease punishment. New
Commissioner Peshawar Division Captain Azam decreased punishment of Doctor
Shakeel Afridi from 33 year to 23 year mentioning some technical reasons. Few
reasons mentioned were non applicability of some articles of frontier Crimes
Regulations of 1901. His brother
submitted appeal for revision through his lawyer in FATA Tribunal in May, 2015.
Office of the Commissioner could not provide record to FATA Tribunal for long
16 months. In September 2016 record was obtained by FATA Tribunal. For long 7
months government prosecutor or lawyer did not present before FATA Tribunal and
each time hearing was to be postponed which hurt entire family of Doctor
Shakeel Afridi. No one from his family including his brother, sisters and other
close family members were allowed to meet him since 2012 upto July, 2016.
Despite Peshawar High Court verdict where Honorable Court had issued order for allowing his
family members meeting with Doctor Shakeel Afridi. This order was issued on
June 3, 2015 after writ petition was submitted by Jamil Khan Afridi elder
brother of Doctor Shakeel Afridi through his lawyer.
In September, 2016 his brother Jamil
Khan Afridi was allowed to see his brother in Jail. He was accompanied by his
sister who was not permitted to meet her jailed doctor brother. Jail authority
refused her meeting on reason that they were not authorized by Home Department
KP though High Court had clear order for
his close family to meet Doctor Shakeel Afridi. His sister went back without
meeting her brother whom she had not seen since he was jailed in 2012. It is
also interesting to be noted that even lawyer of Doctor Shakeel Afridi could
not meet him. What kind of justice is it?
According to Jamil Khan Afridi who
met him yesterday dated 19th April, 2017 shared his details saying
that his brother had no facility in Jail. He was kept in a small dark room
where there is no light facility and he is derived from sun light and he is quite
unable to differentiate between day and night. Room is very suffocated and due
to bad smelling his health has been deteriorated. He faces health issues due to
dirt and dark. He is treated very badly by Jail high ups including Jail
Superintend Masood Ul rehman. Doctor Shakeel Afridi complained and feared he
might be hurt or killed by said Superintendent. His life is under threat, his
brother remarked. However he appreciated treatment meted out to him by sub
ordinate staff of Jail. His brother says, My brother has no facility in Jail.
He is kept like an animal in a dog house. He gets no newspaper. He has no
refrigerator facility to drink cold water in this sizzling season of summer.
Due to continued load shedding there is no alternate system. He is deprived to
watch TV. He has no cell phone or even a piece of paper where he could write something
on to his family members.
According to information The
Computerized National Identity Card CNIC of Doctor Shakeel Afridi is expired in
year 2014. He submitted a request for renewal to Jail authority but despite
passing of 3 years his card was not renewed. His name and his children names
have been put on ECL or Exit Control List by concerned authority of Pakistan. His
children needed passports but were denied for being on ECL. What is their
crime? asks Jamil Khan Afridi.
About 3 months ago Jamil Khan Afridi
applied for domicile certificates of Khyber Agency FATA for his remaining three
children and he could not get a positive response yet.
Jamil Khan Afridi appealed to all
National and International Human Rights organizations to extend their all
possible assistance and to pay a jail visit where they could meet Doctor
Shakeel Afridi and get them apprised of what type of bad and inhuman treatment
meted out to my brother Dr Shakeel Afridi.
The writer is Chairman
FATA Commission of Human Rights and
can be reached at fatacommissionofhumanrights@gmail.com, or zaralikhanafridifata@gmail.com
