FAISALABAD, Aug 24: The release of Hafiz Abdul Basit on the orders of the Supreme Court has given a new hope to people who believe their relatives have been picked up by security agencies.

Since his arrival at his Gulberg Colony residence here, Hafiz Basit has been receiving people who are desperate to find the whereabouts of their relatives, ‘missing’ for years.

Hafiz Basit remained in detention for three years, seven months and 22 days. After he was freed, he said that Osama Nazir and Siddique Akbar of Multan, Ansar of Rawalpindi and Tahir of Bahawalpur were with him in a 6x4 feet dark cell in Rawalpindi.

Describing his ordeal, he told this correspondent that the investigation officer at the Chaklala Airbase had his beard shaved off and then made taunting remarks. A few days later, however, he regretted and sought forgiveness.”

He said officers would abuse the detainees and keep them standing for days.

“I was kept in solitary confinement for three years. Investigators did not allow prisoners to talk to each other, and if we did they immediately changed our cells,” he said.

Referring to his fellow inmates, he said Osama Nazir was suffering from tuberculosis and his health was deteriorating. He said that he was unable to walk because of a spinal problem. He claimed that Osama was not getting any treatment.

Osama was arrested on November 18, 2004, from a madressah in Faisalabad. President Musharraf described him as a ‘high-profile militant’ in the Urdu version of his book ‘In the Line of Fire’.

Abdul Shakoor, younger brother of Osama, who had come to visit Hafiz Basit, said: “My brother did not take part in any illegal activity.” He said he was being punished because “he was a true Muslim.”

He said if Osama had done anything wrong, he should have been produced in a court of law.

He said secret agencies had also arrested Osama’s wife, his two daughters and younger brother. However, all of them except Osama were released a few days later.

He appealed to the Chief Justice of Pakistan to direct the authorities concerned to provide medical treatment to his brother and release him. Shakoor said since Osama’s arrest, his relatives had not been allowed to meet him. “We were not even provided any information about him.”

Mohammad Asghar, younger brother of Siddique Akbar, incarcerated since March 24, 2004, said his parents were relieved after knowing that he was alive.

He said Siddique’s children had been “pressing us to request the CJP for his release”, after knowing that one of the fellow inmates of their father had been set free on the apex court’s directive.

Hafiz Basit’s parents appealed to the CJP to constitute a separate bench for hearing the cases of ‘missing persons’ and amend the constitution requiring everyone, irrespective of his stature, to appear in court in person.

They also praised Ms Amna Janjua’s efforts for “the release of missing persons”.