KOHAT, April 9: A number of financially well-off people here have expressed their willingness to bear travel expenses of a 14-year-old Macedonian boy, who is undergoing a three-year jail term under Section 40 of the Frontier Crimes Regulations along with another compatriot and two Turkish nationals at the Kohat prison for the last four months.

These local people, who have no political affiliation, announced that they would provide all help to these detained people, particularly the boy, Abu Salam, who is a member of a Tableeghi Jamaat.

Abu Salam was taken into custody by the Bajaur political administration for entering Pakistan on expired travelling documents.

It may be mentioned that the so-called human rights organisations have failed to provide any legal and moral help to these detainees fearing that they might belong to the ousted Taliban regime since they were caught during the war on terror. However, investigations by the local intelligence agencies and the FBI have now confirmed that these people have no connection with the Taliban or Al Qaeda.

The legal experts say that the punishment awarded to the boy by the political agent was reversible in this particular case because there were no other serious charges against him.

A senior High Court lawyer, Shujauddin Wasti, told Dawn that only the political administration was vested with powers to award such harsh punishments even to under-age children, whereas under the normal law no court could do so to a child on such a charge.

He said the NWFP home secretary was empowered to reverse the punishment on a simple application filed by his relatives or on their behalf by any local person or organisation.

It may be noted that the human rights activists, who hardly missed a day to speak for the emancipation of Afghan women and children, specially girls, have refused to help Abu Salam even on humanitarian grounds.

A recent visit by a foreign legal team to these detainees revealed that although these people were innocent, who took the plea that thousands of people cross the Durand Line daily without valid documents after greasing the palms of the border security forces, the government punished them simply on suspicion of being members of Al Qaeda and later dropping the charge altogether.

The philanthropists, while preferring not to be named, said that they would be glad if provided a chance to help these four men, particularly the boy, after the government completes all formalities regarding their release from the prison.