ISLAMABAD, July 10: One hundred more Jamia Fareedia students detained by security forces from Lal Masjid were released to their parents and relatives here on Tuesday.
Aged between 22 and 26, the students were in handcuffs when they were brought from Adiala Jail to the ‘facilitation centre’ set up in Sports Complex, less than a kilometer away from the besieged mosque.
Their reunion with their families was one bright spot in the otherwise sad day that saw several deaths on both sides.
Sixteen-year-old Mohammad Zubair was picked up last Tuesday after he joined his friends to be part of protests against the government.
“I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. I had no idea that the situation would get out of control,” he said.
His father Syed Rehman, who had come from Swat to take him home, was delighted to see his son well. Rehman said he wanted to see his son complete Islamic education. “I have devoted Zubair to the cause of Islam.”
Azam Ali Khan took a sigh of relief when he saw a glimpse of his younger brother Jibran Ali, 18, stepping out of a bus that brought the students to the Sports Complex.
“My father and I spent three days outside the Adiala Jail, asking about him but the authorities never helped. The police there were very rude and they would push us away. We were eager to know if Jibran was safe, and wanted to give him clothes and some food we had brought with us,” he said.
Azam and his father were waiting for their names to be called so that they could take Jibran home in Charsadda.
Frustrated and angry, Zafar Iqbal, a retired assistant sub-inspector of the Punjab police, had impatiently waited a week for this day. He had not heard from his son for a week. And on Tuesday, he was finally going home with his son Ansar Iqbal.
The past week was like hell for me, Zafar said. “I had no idea my son was dead or alive. Parents have been through a lot of stress in these days. All the children should be handed over to their parents and relatives without any more delay.”
While there was joy of reunion all around, there was also a sense of grief among those whose children were still missing. Some of the unfortunate ones swamped the lists of names of the students brought to the Sports Complex hoping to stumble upon familiar names.
To the disappointment of Nasirullah, there was no news of his 18-year-old cousin, Saifuddin. He sat looking at the smoke bellowing from behind trees and listening to blasts of bombs and gunshots at some distance in the direction of the Lal Masjid.
“It’s been a week and there is no news of him. As we speak, my brother is outside the Adiala Jail hoping to trace him,” he said.
Nasir, who had come from Gilgit, said last time he spoke with his cousin Saifuddin, he was still inside the Lal Masjid, too scared to come out.
According to Khubaib Foundation, working for the welfare of prisoners in Adiala Jail, students were not mistreated. Several had been shifted to district jail Jhelum due to shortage of space. And some above the age of 22 were still in custody.
About 18 students, aged 15 to 22, were brought to the facilitation centre on Monday night. As many as 70 children were released to their parents on Sunday.
