LANDI KOTAL: All the prisoners at the three sub-jails of Jamrud, Bara and Landi Kotal in the Khyber tribal district would undergo weekly medical check-up while they won’t be subjected to any torture at the lockups, officials said here on Tuesday.

They said the prisoners would undergo medical check-up under the supervision of medical superintendent of the district headquarters hospital in Landi Kotal.

Officials said under the strict orders and instructions from both the district courts Khyber and officials of the ministry of Safron in Islamabad, no Khasadar or Levies personnel would be allowed to torture any prisoner inside their lock-ups.

The decision to bar Khasadar and Levies personnel from torturing prisoners was taken after a Khasadar arrested a shopkeeper in Landi Kotal a week ago and then kept him in illegal confinement in a local cell. He subjected the man to torture to force him to give statement in his favour that he (Khasadar) was not involved in extorting money from shopkeepers.

Officials said so far about two dozen prisoners in Landi Kotal sub-jail had been provided with healthcare with the assistance of a health team from DHQ.

Meanwhile, the Peshawar Central Prison has also deputed a doctor at the Landi Kotal sub-jail to examine prisoners on a daily basis.

Meanwhile, the anti-narcotics staff at Torkham seized six kilogrammes of heroin from the belongings of an Afghan national during routine checking at the scanning machine.

The Afghan, Nazir Khan, was taken into custody and a case was registered against him.

Published in Dawn, October 23rd, 2019