PESHAWAR: An elderly man from Bajaur Agency allegedly kept in illegal confinement on a murder charge under the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) has died, claim legal heirs.

Mohabat Khan, 65, alias Mashi Kaka lost life at the LRH’s neurology ward on Tuesday in Peshawar with two Levies men standing guard at his bedside.A cook in official quarters having no serious disease or health issue reached deathbed in just seven month’s time in imprisonment.

He suffered brain haemorrhage in the lockup in Khar, the administrative headquarters of Bajaur Agency, around four days ago and was shifted to Peshawar for treatment. The body was shifted to the native land and will be buried on Wednesday.

The political administration had arrested Mashi Kaka along with 16 other tribesmen around seven months ago in connection with a blind murder.

A government official was found dead carrying bullet marks at his room in Civil Colony adjacent to the office of political agent. Mashi Kaka was serving as cook at the Civil Colony receiving Rs10,000 salary a month.

Son blames death on political agent

The authorities had tasked the joint investigation team with probing the murder case.

During the course of time, the authorities released 15 of the arrested men. However, Mashi Kaka and another person were kept in the lockup. When approached, Khar political tehsildar, Ombaras Khan, was ignorant about the case.

He didn’t confirm whether the deceased was detained under the collective responsibility clause of the FCR or murder charge.

“The administration had constituted JIT that probed the case, but I don’t have details,” he said, confirming the death of detainees at the LRH, Peshawar.

He said officers of intelligence agencies were included in the JIT.

Kaka’s son, Hameedur Rehman, blamed the political agent for death.

“My aged father was cleared in the JIT report but despite that, the political agent was reluctant to set him free,” he claimed.

Mr Rehman said he met the PA twice and offered him even his arrest for the release of his father, but to no avail.

He claimed his father was not directly charged in the murder case and was kept in the lockup for seven months under the FCR’s collective responsibility clause referred as a draconian law.

“Before detention, my father was healthy. He became diabetic and hypertensive during detention,” he complained.

Mr Rehman said the political agent had promised his father’s early release but didn’t fulfil the promise.

He said his father was on three days leave when the officer, Gul Akbar Khan, a project director, was killed.

The affected family from Faja Village near Khar has been running from pillar to post seeking justice. It also knocked at the door of the Fata Tribunal to get justice but in vain.

Rehman said Fata Tribunal chairman Sung-i-Marjan Mehsud had visited the lockup in Khar around three months ago and directed officials to set him free.

He said the chairman also ordered the constitution of the jirga for another detainee to decide his case.

Published in Dawn, August 2nd, 2017