DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Oct 19: Following the registration of a rebellion case against Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam chief Maulana Fazl-ur-Rahman, his residence has been declared a sub-jail.

On Friday, various law-enforcing agencies were deputed to ensure external security of the sub-jail, whose internal security would be ensured by jail assistant superintendent Muhammad Ayub Khan, one head warden and four wardens. No one was allowed to visit the JUI chief.

The jail staff, however, are facing a problem. The JUI chief is residing in the house with his three other brothers and their families and, according to the jail manual, a prisoner cannot be lodged in the prison with his family members.  

The jail staff have contacted the inspector-general of prison,    the home secretary and others, and have sought advice and guidance   as to whether the prisoner be separated from the rest of his family members or otherwise.

An awkward situation occurred on Thursday morning when Jamaat-i-Islami deputy chief Liaqaut Baloch insisted on seeing Maulana Fazl-ur-Rahman, but he was not allowed to meet him. The same thing happened with JUI-F general-secretary Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haidri.

Both Baloch and Haidri had come from Lahore and Quetta, respectively, to see the Maulana and discuss with him the ongoing situation in Afghanistan.

The situation became so bad that the home secretary and the NWFP governor had to be contacted by phone and briefed about the situation.

However, neither Liaqaut Baloch nor Maulana Haidri were allowed to meet the JUI chief. All the telephone connections of the Maulana’s residence are already disconnected.